Silent Mistakes
by GCatsPjs
Summary: 206 Bones, 206 Chapters, 250,000 Words. The End.
1. Cross My Heart, and Hope to Die

**Silent Mistakes**

**_Chapter 1- Cross My Heart and Hope to Die_**

It was a mistake.

A simple mistake, anyone could have made it, anyone could have seen it.

Though she's not just 'anyone'. This is Doctor Temperance Brennan… Bones. World renowned forensic anthropologist.

But it was just a mistake.

A stupid mistake, anyone could have made it, anyone could have seen it. Booth unbuckled his seatbelt as he stared at the front door, his hand on the phone as he tried to dial her number again.

"You've reached Dr. Temperance Brennan, I cannot be reached at this time, please leave a message and…" He shoved his finger into the off button, turning the phone completely off instead of just ending the call. He looked up at her windows, noting the dim light that filtered out of the curtains, he knew that she was up there, and he knew that his phone calls were being ignored. He hated when she ignored him, absolutely hated it, and though logically, he came to the conclusion that she was most likely ignoring everyone's calls, he took it personally.

He listened to the sound of the seatbelt wind in its mechanism, slowly sliding toward the door until the buckle clunked against the door and he reached for the handle. He rolled the phone around in his hand and sighed, shoving it in his pocket, he grabbed the handle of the door and pulled on it hard, hearing a click from the mechanism, he released a bit of pressure as not to pull the whole damn thing off the door. He slipped his feet from the truck, his shoes hitting the pavement with a satisfying thump as he took a step and turned, closing the door behind him as he walked around the front of the truck. His finger lingered over the button for the keyless entry, and with one more glance to the dim lights in his partner's home, he pushed down on it, hearing the satisfying sound of the lock engaging, the horn honking lightly as he stepped up the door toward her apartment.

As he stepped up the stairs, Ray, the night security guard opened the door and gave him a polite smile. "Seeley." He nodded with a friendly smile, holding his hand out to the other man, Booth took it firmly in his and smiled.

"Ray… how are the kids, the wife?"

"Good, they're doing good… and Parker?"

"He's doing very well…" Booth replied, remembering that on more than one occasion he had come to Bones' apartment with Parker in tow, and he had a good rapport with the security staff of her building. "I'm just on my way to check on Bones. She had a rough day." He said with a polite smile, accepting Ray's nod as acknowledgment as he stepped past toward the elevator, pushing the button as he turned toward Ray again.

"Yeah, she came in about two hours ago, looked pretty upset. She had to be, you know, the Doc is pretty good at having everything together."

"She's very good at that." Booth nodded in agreement as he listened to the familiar ding of the elevator. He stepped inside, and with a polite nod and wave to Ray, the doors closed and whisked him up toward Temperance's apartment.

He reached her floor fairly slowly, the older elevator of the building creaking and groaning the entire way. As the door opened on her floor, it let out a very soft, subtle 'ding' sound, and he stepped from the confines of the elevator quickly. He walked toward her door without hesitation, his hand already raised to knock. He listened to the rich sound of his knuckles battering the wooden door, the hollow sound lifting to his ears as he took in a slow, deep breath and waited. It was several seconds, and he tried again. "Bones." He said, knocking again at the door, he waited several more seconds. "Bones, come on… open up the door, you know I'll knock it down if I have to." He said, his voice almost forceful as he waited for her response. He waited another moment, softly resting his hand on the door, feeling the cool wood beneath his fingertips, he rested his head on the wood beside his hand, listening carefully for any sign of movement inside. "Temperance." He said, his voice sounding desperate as he waited. "It's not your fault." He said, when suddenly the door was no longer beneath his hand and forehead, and he stumbled slightly as he came face to face with his partner, through the crack that she had opened her door, the chain lock firmly in place.

"Go home, Booth." She said, her left eye was all that was visible of her face, bloodshot from apparent tears, her voice gravelly and filled with sadness.

"I need to talk to you."

"Tomorrow."

"No."

"We can talk tomorrow."

"No, we can talk today."

"No." She said, moving to close the door, he slipped his foot sideways as he prevented her from closing the door on him. "Get your foot out of my doorway."

"No." he said, taking his turn to use the word that she was throwing around so freely. "Let me in."

"Go home, Booth." She said, pushing on the door, shoving the edge of the door onto his shoe, trying to dislodge his foot from its stubborn spot.

"Bones."

"I'll call Ray." She said, only half bluffing as she became more frustrated with the situation. "Just let me be alone."

"Why? So you can wallow in self pity. It was a mistake, Bones. Everyone makes mistakes."

"I don't make mistakes."

"That is bullshit, Bones."

"Go home, Booth. I don't want to talk, I don't want to talk about it… okay? Please respect that."

"Then can I come in and not talk?"

She paused. "What would that accomplish?" She asked softly.

"It would make me feel better." He said. "I have been a nervous wreck since you walked out of the lab today."

She considered his words for several moments, seeing the sincerity in his eyes she swallowed hard. "You won't say anything?"

"Not a word until you say its okay."

"You promise?" She whispered.

"Cross my heart and hope to die, Stick a needle in my eye." He recited the children's rhyme that he had learned when he was a little boy, and he saw the confusion cloud the expression on her face, he gave her a friendly smirk. "It's a saying, Bones… I promise I won't say anything once I pass that threshold."

She watched him for a moment, his eyes speaking the truth, the honest truth, as if she expected any less from him. "Fine." She whispered, he didn't pause for a moment, and slid his foot from between the door and the wall. Her door closed firmly, and there was no split second of fear that it wouldn't open, though she did pause for a second or two before he heard the lock slide from its secure place, clunking against the door, he heard the lock hanging against the wooden door, before the doorknob opened slowly.

She took a step back, turning toward the couch, as she allowed him to let himself in. She settled on the couch, pulling the blankets up onto her lap as she grabbed the book she had left open and on the couch when she answered the door. She watched him turn and close the door, latching it behind him, and moved her eyes to the pages before her, as her silent guest made himself comfortable at the other end of the couch without a word.


	2. That Page

**Silent Mistakes**

**_Chapter 2- That Page_**

_It was only a simple mistake._

_I take that back, simple mistakes are still mistakes, be them simple or complex. It was a mistake, pure and simple._

_A mistake that could have cost them the case._

_A mistake that would have let a murderer out of jail._

_It was more than a mistake. It was an embarrassment. It was a disappointment. It was ridiculous. It was stupid._

_Doctor Temperance Brennan doesn't make mistakes. But she did, well...I did… and now I am sitting here on my couch pretending to read while my partner sits at the other end of the couch pretending to try to make the objects on the coffee table move with his mind, at least that's what it seems like, the way he's staring so intensely in front of him._

His head turned at that exact moment, her gaze catching his, and quickly she brought her eyes back to the book. Staring at the words and letters on the pages in front of her, she noted that he had not moved his attention back to what he had been staring at before, but continued to stare directly at her. She knew that he was doing it to unnerve her. She had been caught looking at him, and now he wasn't going to let his gaze go until she acknowledged that fact. The words on the page began to blur, and suddenly a wet drop fell onto the page. Though it cleared her vision, the knowledge that he was still watching her, only managed to allow another droplet to fall to the page, rolling unceremoniously down the paper.

A deep breath, and the tears would be gone, she hoped. She started to suck in the sweet smelling air of the room, to catch her breath, catch her composure, but as she did, she shifted slightly, and before she could react, her foot was stretched over his lap. His large, warm hands were on her skin as she gasped at the sudden touch, the gentle cradling of her foot as he shifted in his spot on the couch, moving to face her a little more properly, her foot still in his hands, resting on his lap.

Her eyes remained on the book, and his eyes remained on her. His fingertips moved to her foot, and she gasped slightly as he began to knead the bottom of her foot with his thumb, the other hand gently cradling her foot, his thumb and forefinger gently rubbing together at her heel. She stared at the words on the book, her tears quickly disappearing as she tried to figure out what he was doing.

I know what he's doing. Why is he doing it?

He kept his promise, and said not a word, his fingers moving languidly over her foot, the gentle warmth seeping into her skin, melting away the tension with each touch. Normally her feet would be extremely ticklish, on many occasions a lover would try to relieve the pressure of being on her feet all day with the suggestion of a gentle foot massage, but it never ended well. Her feet were extremely sensitive, and it would often result in a cascade of giggles, or sometimes, a reflexive kick to the gut of the person attempting such a risky venture. However, and if she wasn't mistaken, she was finding the warm sensation of this massage moving up her leg, and settling in other regions of her body. He moved his hands again, cradling her foot on his lap still, she now felt both thumbs rhythmically rubbing the soles of her foot, moving up to her toes as they gently kneaded the soft skin of her feet. She could feel the heat from his touch rising into her face, feeling her cheeks burning as she continued to stare at her book, her breath held, her eyes staring intently at the book, though not reading a word.

"You've been on that page for a long time." Booth's voice broke the silence, her eyes darted to his as she watched him lift her foot. Her face was flushed and pink, her eyes were still sad, but there was something else within their blue depths. Her pupils were dilating quickly, the place where those small black dots spotted the middle of her cerulean eyes were replaced by large circles of black, shrinking the color to a thin line of blue as she stared back at him blankly.

"Huh?"

"I said that you've been on that page for a long time." He whispered, bringing her foot to his lips, he left a tender kiss at the tip of her big toe, his eyes never leaving hers as she watched the corner of his mouth turn up ever so slightly, and that slight bit of a smile in his eyes that never failed to make her heart beat harder, and cause her to lose her train of thought. "Did you get stuck on a big word?" He asked, his smile widening, the corners of his eyes crinkling as they smiled as well.

"No." She said, taking a deep breath, she looked back at the book. "I thought you were going to keep quiet." She whispered, feeling the tender kisses he was leaving on her foot, his thumbs still gently kneading her flesh, rolling over the muscles in a methodic, loving way, tracing his fingers lazily over her ankle as she unexpectedly let out a slight whimper.

"Right." He nodded, dropping a kiss on her ankle as he continued to massage her foot. "Sorry."

"It's fine." She said, gently pulling her foot toward her, from his grasp, she heard a very faint disappointed sigh coming from the occupant of the other end of the couch, as she tucked her foot beneath her blanket. She noted that he was now staring ahead again, his eyes downcast as if he were embarrassed of his previous behavior. Ever so slightly, however, her other foot pulled from beneath her, slipping from beneath the warmth of the blanket, and sliding up his thigh, his head turned quickly and he looked at her for several moments as her foot moved slowly over his thigh. He watched her face, still pink and flushed, her eyes still dilated, her lips parted just slightly as her foot rested gently on his lap, and he didn't miss the flash of a smile that tickled her lips while she continued to stare at her book. Invited and appreciative, he took her other foot in his hands and began to massage it gently just as he had the other foot, silence once again filling the room as the memory of the afternoon and the pain and worry that brought him there slipped into the back of their minds.


	3. You're Coming With Me

**_Chapter 3- You're Coming With Me_**

_Earlier in the day-_

_"Where the hell is she?" Booth's voice boomed through the lab loudly, making several of the younger 'lab rats' jump anxiously as he swiped his card and pounded his feet up the platform, stomping across he was suddenly blocked by Cam, her hand extended fully, pressing into his chest as she stopped him completely._

_"Watch it there, big guy, what's the rush?"_

_"Where is Bones?" He asked, waving a file in his hand as he slammed it down on one of the metal tables on the platform, he looked around the lab quickly, not moving as he glared at Cam angrily._

_"Just calm down for a second and tell me what the problem is."_

_"The problem is, I need to talk to Bones and she's not here."_

_"Did you look in her office?"_

_"I was working my way over there."_

_"Well, you can't come in here screaming for one of my people, Seeley." She said with a stern tone, the look he gave her in return only strengthened her stance. "What do you need Doctor Brennan for?"_

_"I need her to fix this report! She completely messed up the results on these tests, and she pretty much says in the report that the guy we nabbed for this is going to get off!"_

_"What case is it?"_

_"Montgomery… the body they found at the dump… the file is completely screwed up. I can't hand this into my boss like this. I need her now." He growled, hearing the sound of the scanner behind him, he recognized the steps that were coming up the stairs. He turned around quickly, and found himself eye to eye with his partner._

_"Is there a problem?" She asked, her eyes wide and curious, her hair pulled back in a ponytail as she watched the anger in her partner's eyes slowly drain as he stared her in the eyes._

_"Yeah." He nodded. "Yeah, there's a problem, a big problem." He said, lifting the folder up, he slammed it down again. "Your notes are crap, Bones." Booth said angrily. "Your findings were crap, and your analysis was sloppy. You're losing a step, Bones… you're really losing a step." He said as she glared at him, grabbing the folder from him, she flipped through the pages._

_"It appears that everything is in order here… Tanya Morgan…"_

_"Montgomery…"_

_"No." Temperance said as she flipped through the pages. "This is the file for… oh…"_

_"Oh…?" Booth said, a smile slipping onto his lips as he waited for the 'I told you so' moment that he felt that he had earned._

_"Oh… wow…" She said, scratching her head. "I'm… I'll…" Her face began to turn bright red as she stood, staring at the file, flipping through the pages. She could feel the eyes of Cam and Booth watching her, and she could practically see the cocky grin out of the corner of her eye as she felt herself becoming warmer and warmer as she realized her mistake. "I'll get this back to you later today." She said quickly, turning to walk off the platform, she headed toward her office as quickly as she could, the sound of her partner calling after her were a distant sound as her mind raced._

---------------

Brennan felt herself jump a little, Booth's thumb slipping into a sensitive spot on her foot, her eyes shot up to meet his, and she immediately realized that he knew exactly what he was doing. A slow smirk rose onto her lips and she shook her head. "For someone who acts like they know very little about the human body." She sighed. "You certainly know where to find pressure points." She said, jumping as he pressed the same spot on her foot. A smile formed on his lips as he continued his gentle foot massage.

She found herself just watching him for several moments, the lazy circles that he was pressing into her foot was causing her muscles to melt beneath his touch. His eyes were on her foot, and she expected him to focus on her again, though he just continued his slow, gentle movement on her foot, saying nothing.

"Booth? What you said today…" She said, watching him lift her foot to his lips again, very gently leaving kisses on each toe. "Booth, come on… you're changing the subject." She said, though she didn't even think for a moment to move her foot, the feelings and sensations were far too good to deny her body that kind of treatment. "Booth…" She said, groaning slightly as she slouched, her eyes narrowing while she watched his slowly lift to hers, his eyebrows lifted as he let her foot gently slide from his hands, and land softly on his lap. "Please…" She whispered, sliding her foot down his thigh, she watched him react with a bit of disappointment, and then his expression sank into one of blank seriousness, focusing his eyes again on her. "I made a mistake."

"Everyone makes mistakes." He whispered, it was soft and tender, and very, very quiet. She wasn't even sure he had said the words.

"I don't." She whispered back, her eyes melting into his, feeling the sting of unshed tears lurking beneath the surface. "I don't make mistakes." She paused. "Not like that."

"Then what kind of mistakes do you make?" He whispered, touching her foot that had settled against his hip, her heel digging slightly into him as she pushed against him slightly.

"No mistakes, Booth." She replied.

"I don't believe you." he said definitively, watching her eyebrows raise slightly at his words.

"I thought you were going to be quiet." She said, slouching a bit more into the couch.

"You talked to me first." He said, a ghost of a smirk on his lips as he watched her eyes shift away from his, her foot digging a bit more into his hip as she felt the need to hide from him, but foolish in that need. She knew he wouldn't judge her, so she went with her irrational side and covered her head with the blanket that was covering her. "Bones…" He said, his voice held little humor, but she could tell that he was slightly amused by her sudden decision to hide from him.

"Shh." She demanded quietly, his lack of response becoming her answer. He'd be quiet if that was what she needed, and he'd take her silliness over her angry demeanor any day. After a moment though, she felt the couch move slightly as he stood up, her feet suddenly cold without the insulation of his body against them, she waited and heard nothing.

After several moments of silence, her curiosity got the better of her, and slowly, the blanket was removed from her head, finding herself looking directly into his eyes. He hovered over her for a moment, his brown eyes sincere and serious. "Get changed." He whispered. "You're coming with me."

"What?" She whispered.

"Clothes… get some clothes on… I'm not dragging you out of the apartment in sweats… we're going somewhere."

"Where?"

"Does it matter? It's Friday night… we don't work tomorrow or Sunday… I will be back in twenty minutes… get changed."

"Booth…" She said, her voice whimpering in uncertainty.

"While you're at it… pack a bag." He said, turning away from her, he walked toward the door. "I'll be back in twenty minutes… if you're not packed and ready to go by the time I get back… I'll pack your bag, and trust me… you don't want that."

"Why not?" She asked curiously, rubbing her eye as she watched him curiously.

He only answered her with a sly smirk, his eyes twinkling as he turned the lock on the door and opened it. "You have twenty minutes, Bones… hop to it." He said, grabbing her keys from the table beside the door, he turned, waved and slipped out the door, and the last thing she heard was the key in the lock as he locked her in her apartment, leaving her wondering and confused, but extremely intrigued.


	4. Fall In

**_Chapter 4- Fall in_**

Twenty minutes later, Brennan was changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, her suitcase was packed with comfortable weekend clothes and she had just entered the bathroom to retrieve her toiletries when she heard the door of her apartment open and close.

"Bones?" Booth's voice called through the apartment, it had a tinge of excitement attached to it, and she smiled in spite of her confusion over her partner's sudden desire to leave. "Hey, Bones, are you ready?" He asked, walking through the apartment. She knew that he was in the threshold of her bedroom, and wouldn't walk in uninvited, so she just kept quiet for another moment. "Bones, you fall in?" He asked, the playfulness in his voice sending a smile onto her lips. She turned around and poked her head from the bathroom, finding him leaning against the doorway with his shoulder, his eyebrows raised in question.

"No, I didn't fall in." She replied, almost as if she thought it was a serious question, she leaned against the bathroom doorway, mirroring his stance for a moment. "And I'm not so sure I approve of being kidnapped in the middle of the night."

"It's not the middle of the night, it's only ten o'clock." He replied. "And I'm not kidnapping… because you are not a kid… you're a woman…" She stared at him for a moment, her mouth slightly agape as she gave him a suspicious yet humored glance, a slight smile on her lips. "What? Logic has never been used on you before?" He asked as he shrugged. "Turnabout is fair play, Bones… You ready to go?" He asked, nodding toward her bag on the bed. "That your stuff?"

"I can carry my own things."

"Of course you can." He said, reaching forward to grab the bag from her bed, he swung it over his shoulder and grinned at her. "Let's go…"

"Where are we going?" She asked, watching him shrug his shoulders as he headed toward the front door.

"Wherever the night takes us, Bones… wherever it takes us."

----------------

The drive started off almost awkwardly. It was full of silence and curious glances, though she hadn't said a word to him since they got onto the highway. She figured that once they had begun this mysterious journey, that he'd start talking, explaining where they were going, but instead they just drove along in silence. She reached for the GPS unit sitting on the dashboard, its screen dark, and her hand was immediately smacked lightly by her partner.

"No maps." He said, watching her eyebrow raise in question as she reached for it again. "I'll throw that thing out the window." He replied, watching her hand slide back to her lap, he glanced at her and noticed the slight smirk on her lips.

"Where are we going?" She asked after a moment, watching as he settled his left hand on the steering wheel, and the other reached for the cup of coffee in the center console, his eyes, glancing over to her seat.

"You'll see."

"Well, yes… obviously, but I'd like to know where you're taking me."

"I'm sure you would." He nodded, sipping from his coffee cup, he was surprised when she reached out and grabbed it, nearly causing him to spill some on him, he coughed. "Bones, what are you doing?" He said as she put the cup in the holder in the center and positioned herself to face him.

"Where are we going?"

"You're way too nosy… can't you just do something to do something?"

"No." She replied.

"Maybe that's your problem." He shrugged. "You need to learn to relax."

"How can I relax when… for no obvious reason, my partner orders me to pack my bags and get in his car because he's taking me away somewhere that he doesn't seem to know, and won't use maps… how am I supposed to relax when I don't know where we're going?"

"Bones… really… trust me." He said softly, lifting his hand to hers, he grabbed it before she could pull it away, and after a moment, she allowed him to hold her hand. She settled back in her seat and stared out the window for a little while, finding herself lost in thought. She watched out the window for several minutes, and then glanced back at him as she pulled her hand back slowly. He glanced to her and watched her sigh quietly as she focused out the window. "I'm still really sorry about this afternoon, Bones."

"I know." She whispered, focusing on the window and the passing darkened scenery, she closed her eyes.

-------\

_As soon as her office door latched closed, she heard it open again, closing behind the person she knew was standing behind her._

_"Don't say anything." She said, holding up a finger as she walked around to her desk and sat down in her chair, quickly moving her mouse around the screen to find the file that she was looking for. "Don't say a word."_

_"Bones."_

_"That's a word, Booth… say another word, and I'll have security in here so fast…" She said, her voice indignant and serious, staring at her computer screen as her partner flopped down on the couch. "You can go, Booth. I'll have the report fixed before you get back to the office… so you won't have to do anymore yelling and carrying on… embarrassing your coworkers and such." She mumbled the last bit to herself, she looked up and glared at Booth, his expression was one of apology. "You can go."_

_"Bones…"_

_"Just go, Booth."_

_"I'm sorry that I embarrassed you… sorry I yelled… I'm just… I'm having a bad afternoon, following a bad morning, and I guess I wasn't really thinking."_

_"Just go, Booth." She replied, her eyes meeting his, narrowed and full of irritation._

_"Bones, I'm sorry."_

_"Go." She repeated, her tone unmistakably serious. _

_"I'll call you later." He said, waiting for her to reply, he stood up and walked toward the door. "Bones?" He said again, and when he received no answer from her, he just turned and walked out of the office silently._

_-------------/_

"I'm not losing a step." She whispered at the window, swallowing the lump in her throat, as she felt her partner's hand once again on hers, his fingers gently prodding for entry to her palm. After several moments, she gave in, allowing his hand to envelop her own.

"I know you're not, Bones." He whispered reassuringly, his eyes on the road, though periodically glancing to her, hoping for some kind of truce.


	5. Bear Necessities

**_Chapter 5- Bear Necessities_**

Somewhere between the soft tunes on the radio, and the gentle rumble of the tires on the road, Brennan found herself falling asleep. Her head was tilted to the side, leaning against the head rest, she slept soundly beside her partner, his driving was focused and quiet, and when she opened her eyes, she suddenly realized that they appeared to be somewhere she had not expected. "We're in the woods." She said sleepily, her head turning toward her partner, whose eyes flashed to her for a second.

"Very good, Doctor Brennan…" He chided in a playful tone, he smiled even though her eyes narrowed into a irritated glare.

"Why are we in the woods?" She mumbled, pulling the seat up into a more comfortable position, she looked out the window and saw nothing but darkness to the side, and in front, the canopy of trees as they drove leisurely along. "Booth?" Her voice was full of sleep, and she yawned as she glanced at the clock, noting that it was nearly one in the morning. "Why are we in the woods?"

"You ask a lot of questions." He replied, sighing. "Crap…" He mumbled.

"Crap? Crap what, crap?"

"We were supposed to pull off back there…" He said as he did a quick turnaround in the middle of the road.

"Booth, where are you taking me?"

"Bones… relax." He said as he turned sharply into a small parking pull off.

"Booth?"

"Bones." He repeated, putting the car into park, he opened his door and climbed out.

"Where are you going?" She asked, watching him roll his eyes, he closed the door and walked toward the back of the SUV. "Booth?" She said, nearly panicked as she jumped when he opened the back hatch of the SUV. "Why are we in the woods?"

"A little fresh air will do you some good, Bones." He said, unzipping his bag in the back, he pulled out a warm fleece sweatshirt. "Here, put this on…"

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, you're going to freeze… let's go…"

"Where are we going?"

"For a walk… here are your boots…" He said, handing her the pair of boots that he kept in the back of the SUV for cases. "A pair of wool socks… I don't know how cold it's going to be up there…"

"Up there? Up where? Booth? It's dark out…"

"Which is why we'll need these…" He said, turning on a flashlight, he flashed it in her face and laughed when she covered her face with her hand.

"That was not nice!" She exclaimed as she continued to watch him pull a few more things from the bag and put it in a smaller backpack. He pulled a sweatshirt on over his t-shirt, and looked up at her before swinging the backpack onto his back. "Booth?"

"You're saying my name an awful lot, Bones… Get that sweatshirt on, the boots… You don't want me to leave without you." He said, reaching up, he closed the back hatch, chuckling to himself as he heard his partner call his name one more time. He pulled off one of his shoes and unfolded the wool socks in his hand, pulling it up onto his foot, he glanced into the darkened car and saw some movement. He smirked to himself as he slipped his foot into his boot, and then continued on to the other foot. Just as he was lacing up his boots, the passenger door swung open.

"Booth, what are we doing?"

"I told you what we're doing, Bones. We're going for a walk." He said, glancing up at her to see that she had pulled on the sweatshirt that he had given her, and her boots were on, but not laced. "Here…" He said, kneeling in front of her, he proceeded to tie her boots.

"I'm not a kid, Booth, I can tie my own boots."

"I know what you are and what you're not, Bones… Just let me do something nice for you, will you? Grab that thermos out of the center console…"

"What's in it?"

"Nevermind… let's go." He said, tossing his shoes into the car, he held out his hand for her as she grabbed the thermos. She turned and grabbed his hand, pulling herself from the SUV, she moved around Booth as he closed the door behind her, her hand still in his. "At least tell me where we are." She said, her voice whispering through the darkness as Booth fumbled with the flashlight for a moment. It was just a moment, and suddenly, before them, the darkness was flooded with light from his flashlight as it pointed at a sign several yards away. "Hawksbill summit trail…" She mumbled to herself. She reached for his arm and pulled him closer, facing one another now, she looked up into his eyes, bathed by the light of the flashlight, she could see the smirk on his face as he raised his eyebrows.

"What do you think, Bones?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders as she quirked an eyebrow up in uncertainty.

"Black bears are common to the Shenendoah mountain range, Booth... There are bears in the woods after dark." She whispered.

"And there are bears in the woods when the sun is out, Bones… what do you think they do, drive off to their cabins during the day?" He chuckled. "There are bears in the woods after dark…" He muttered, chuckling to himself as he suddenly felt her arms wrapped around his as they walked toward the trail.

"I'm not afraid of bears." She whispered.

"You seem awfully clingy for someone who isn't afraid of bears…"

"I'm just cold." She said as they walked toward the trail.

"Right… cold…"

"When I was napping in the car, my body temperature rose, and now we're outside, and it's cooler, and…"

"Shh, Bones… you'll disturb the bears." He said with a chuckle as he swore that her grip tightened slightly. "Don't worry, Bones… you can climb… you can outrun a bear…" He said as she loosened her grip slightly on his arm. She then grabbed the flashlight and sighed as he let out a disapproving, "Hey!"

"I don't have to be able to outrun a bear, Booth…" She said, tossing a bright grin back at him as he tipped his head in question. "I just have to be able to outrun you…" She said with a laugh, as she began to run down the trail without him, laughing as she heard him following after her, laughing just as hard.


	6. Keeping Warm

**_Chapter 6- Keeping Warm_**

Booth caught up with Brennan, moving up along the side of her as they walked slowly up the steep grade. "So you just decided to take me out of the city and force me into a walk in the woods in the middle of the night?"

"Sure." He shrugged, watching her out of the corner of her eye as she moved the flashlight over the uneven ground, being sure not to kick any rocks or roots that were in the way. "You weren't going to be doing much sleeping tonight anyway."

"Why do you say that?" She asked, slowing a bit, catching her breath, she stopped.

He stopped after a step or two without her and turned around. "Because you were upset." He replied. "You're still upset. When you get upset, you sit on your couch and read until the sun comes up, then you sleep for an hour or two and then go back to the lab." He shrugged.

"How do you know that?" She asked, the shadow on her face covering most of her features, but the small bit of light from the flashlight made some of her features more pronounced, like her furrowed brow.

"Come on, Bones. I know you." He replied. "I know that your thoughts consume you. I know that you worry constantly… I know that you're a very hard worker, and that a mistake is unprecedented with you. I made a mistake too, and I'm sorry." He said, turning toward the darkness, he continued up the trail without her.

"Wait… wait…" She said, running up behind him, she grabbed his sweatshirt and forced him to turn around to face her. "What do you mean, you made a mistake?"

"Come on, Bones… calling you out like that in front of everyone? That was a real asshole thing for me to do. If I had a problem with your work, I should have just gone to your office and discussed it with you behind a closed door, not in front of the entire lab."

"That doesn't matter to me." She replied, though he could tell immediately that she was lying. Her eyes hadn't met his just yet, and when they did, they were full of uncertainty. "I should have discussed it with you. I should have fought back. I don't know what's wrong with me, maybe… maybe I am losing a step." She whispered the last words filled with uncertainty.

"Bones." Booth said as he put his arm around her shoulder and walked with her up the steep grade, carefully pulling them along as they walked. "You have to stop listening to me so much when I'm an ass." He said, leaning his head on hers for a second as he lifted his arm, and turned, backing up to sit on a rock that they'd be climbing up in a moment to continue their journey. He patted the spot beside him and she shuffled over to it and sat down. As soon as she sat down, he wrapped his arm around her and she brought her head down to his shoulder. "Sometimes I just get so used to how comfortable we are together, that I… lose sight of where that line is, you know?" He said softly.

She swallowed hard, her voice was tempting to reveal her anxiety, so she kept her mouth shut for a moment, his arm around her, her head on his shoulder, the warmth of his body bleeding through both of their sweatshirts and keeping her warm. "What line?" She managed to whisper, a shiver moving through her body as she felt his hand rub up and down her arm in an effort to keep her warm.

"That line… between friend and colleague, you know?" He said quickly, noting the anxiety in her voice, he noticed she had buried her face in his shoulder for a moment, and swore that he heard a sniffle. "Bones?" He whispered.

"I'm fine." She said, sitting up, she rubbed her eye with her fingers and started to stand up. "I'm good, I'm fine…" She said, feeling his hand in hers as he tugged on it slightly to sit back down. And he definitely heard a sniffle. "Let's keep going." She said, sitting beside him.

He turned slightly on the rock, facing her more readily, the flashlight facing the ground, so that the only light that was on them, was the glow of the light from below. He could see that she was in distress, her brow furrowed, her eyes avoiding his as she took a deep breath.

He raised his fingers to touch her cheek, his fingertips gently grazing the soft skin of her face as he smiled slightly, trying to will away the tears that were falling. "When I blur that line, Bones… it's like you're part of me… and when I get upset about something with the case, I can't yell at me for it… so I take it out on you. I'm sorry."

"It's fine." She whispered.

"No, it's not fine." He replied. "It really isn't fine. I shouldn't treat you like that… a man should never treat a person he… the woman that he cares about… like that. Whether they've done something wrong or not, I was out of line… and I'm sorry." He said, his finger still holding on her chin, her eyes flicking between his as the moonlight and the flashlight reflected in their dark recesses. He could feel her warm breath against his skin, and all he wanted to do at that moment was close that gap. He wanted to close that gap, but there was no way to know whether or not she would run from him if he did, so he paused. It was an agonizing pause filled with over five years of unanswered questions, and he knew that if he crossed over the threshold of that uncertainty, they would most definitely be risking not only their friendship, but their partnership, and all that it meant. It was a silent pause, a silent moment, a moment that was purely between them, and no one else, a moment that no one else would need to know about, a moment that he could see in her eyes, that if he passed it up this time, he'd regret it for the rest of his life.

"Booth?" Her breathless voice broke the silence as she watched his eyes, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.

"Hmm?" He mumbled slightly, his eyes squinting a bit to see hers as he watched them smile back at him.

"In all of our years of partnership… I never thought I'd be the one saying this to you…" She whispered.

"What is that?"

"Stop thinking." She said, leaning forward, her head tipped slightly, her eyes sliding closed, as the boundless chasm that was between them, the silent and invisible line, the ridge that separated two wayward thinkers, was finally erased, as her warm mouth finally touched his. Her hand reached out slowly, her palm resting on his chest as she felt his heartbeat beneath it, the pace of which doubled in that instant. Her hand clenched slowly, her fingers gathering the material of his sweatshirt within them as she guided him closer, his hand lifting to cup her cheek, as he finally decided to join the kiss with passion and tenderness. Her hand slowly relaxed, her tongue lightly fluttering across his lower lip as breathing suddenly became a necessity, and she pulled back from the embrace reluctantly.

His eyes were burning into hers, and in the moonlight she could see the dilation of his pupils. The brown ring of color became nearly non-existent and the corner of his eyes wrinkled in what she knew was one of those smiles that made her heart melt. "What was that?" He whispered, his eyebrow rising to the slight embarrassment in her features for her actions.

"I was cold." She whispered. "I'm just trying to keep warm." She said, standing up suddenly and turning, she climbed onto the rock he was sitting on.

"Right…" He said, the smile evident in his voice as he noticed her hand was outstretched for him to grab. He took her hand and pulled himself up onto the rock, her grasp remaining strong as they continued to walk. "Just trying to keep warm." He chuckled himself as they walked, his arm moving to wrap around her shoulder, as they continued their journey through the woods.


	7. Wet Blanket

**_Chapter 7- Wet Blanket_**

There were several sharp inclines, and a lot of rocks to contend with as they climbed over the trail, periodically stopping to take a rest or a sip of water, they laughed and enjoyed themselves along the way as they talked about everything and nothing.

"And then… the way that they…" Brennan stopped mid sentence when she realized that she was now talking to herself, she stopped and shine the flashlight around into the darkness. "Booth?" She called, sighing as she took a step back down the path. "Booth, are you there?" She called out, her voice confident and clear. "Booth, this isn't funny." She said as she moved the flashlight through the trees, she stepped back down the path a little bit more. She heard a noise to her right and turned swiftly, noticing no movement, she swallowed hard. "Booth, come on… stop acting like a kid… where are you?"

She took another step back down the path and moved toward where she had heard the sound, her eyes watching for any movement. "Booth?" She said again, the only sound in the night were the sounds of crickets, and the rustling of the leaves beneath her feet. "Booth, come on… if you jump out at me, I swear I'll kick your ass…" She said, moving the flashlight around in a circle. "I'm serious, Booth!" She exclaimed, her voice wavering slightly as she stopped moving, listening again for any movement or sound. "Booth…" She said softer this time, swallowing hard.

Suddenly, there was a sound from above, and she almost screamed as feet came flying down in front of her, followed by a body. She jumped back and the only thing that fell from her lips was a weak screech that immediately sent Booth into a fit of laughter. "Oh my God! That was hilarious!" He exclaimed as suddenly, he was being pushed hard to the side of the path. "You should have seen the look on your face!" He exclaimed, his back slammed against a tree as she held his sweatshirt at the shoulders and shook him.

"Why would you do that?" She exclaimed angrily. "I told you not to do that!" She said, shaking him hard as he just continued to laugh, tipping his head back as he continued to laugh, she pushed her body against him and brought her face to his.

His laughter continued until he saw the determinedly pissed look in her eyes, and it turned into light chuckling as he watched her glare at him more fully. She then grabbed the flashlight and flashed it in his face. "Ow! Bones!"

"Don't you ever! EVER do that again!" She exclaimed, smacking him with an open hand as he tried to defend himself, still laughing at his trick. "What did I tell you?" She exclaimed, smacking again.

"You said you'd kick my ass." He nodded his head, the grin on his face bright and happy as he squinted from the light being flashed in his face.

"And yet?"

"I did it anyway… but on the bright side, Bones… you have me up against a tree… anything else you'd like to do since you have me in this position?" He asked, as suddenly, she let go of him, taking a step back, she scoffed.

"You wish!" She exclaimed, stomping up the path, nearly tripping over a rock, she fell forward, catching herself on the slope.

"Hey… you okay?" He said, moving quickly toward her, he reached out for her hand and helped her from the ground.

"I'm fine." She said, taking his peace offering in stride, she sighed. "I'm fine." She said, brushing herself off with one hand, keeping his hand in the other. "Don't do that again."

"What, help you up?"

"No, disappear." She said seriously, glaring at the smirk on his face. "You knew what I was talking about." She said, pushing him again.

"Hey, hey… no pushing…"

"I should be pushing you down the side of the mountain for what you just did to me." She glared angrily at him as he held his hands up in retreat.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I was just teasing you… I'll know better next time…" He said as he walked past her. "Note to self… Bones is a wet blanket."

"I don't even know what that means." She pouted, staying in one place, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"Wet blanket, party pooper… killjoy, spoil sport… boring, boring, boring…" He said, turning around to face her, he stuck his tongue out at her.

"Put that tongue back in your mouth!" She exclaimed, her voice seemed serious, but the smirk on her face said otherwise.

"Or what?"

"Or put it to good use!" She exclaimed, stomping past him, she shoved him a little, listening to his laugh as she continued walking, suddenly, she heard him coming up behind her quickly, and just as she started to turn around, she felt his arms on her legs, lifting her clear off the ground. "AH! BOOTH!" She screamed with an alarmed sound to her voice at first, but after a moment laughter cascaded from her lips as he continued up the steep trail, his partner securely hanging over his shoulder. "Booth, put me down!" She shouted as she laughed.

"No way… not until you're nicer to me…" He said, continuing up the trail, laughing as she pounded on his backpack. "Hey… don't hit that so hard, you'll smash what's in there… and then it'll be no use to us." He said as she continued to kick her feet, but her fists stopped pounding on him.

"Put me down, Booth!" She exclaimed again as he took several more steps and swung her off his shoulder, her feet landing on a rock that was at knee level for him, she stood up straight, a good foot above him, looking down at him. "That was not nice." She said, her hands on his shoulders as he looked up at her, a bright grin on his face as she leaned down and rested her forehead on his, still laughing as he tried to catch his breath.

"You're a lot heavier than you look." He teased as she swung her hand to smack his chest.

"Booth!"

"Maybe I'm just out of shape." He said with a laugh, leaning up, he caught her lips with his, bringing his hands up to cradle his head, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and crouched slightly, pulling herself into the kiss gently as she sat on the rock she was once standing on, his body leaning into her as he continued to guide her mouth with his own. He felt his way through the kiss, her tongue darting into his mouth as her cool fingers found their way to the back of his head, her fingertips running through the dark hair at the base of his skull as her thumb gently caressed his neck below his ear, forcing him to emit a moan so soft, that neither were sure if it was the other. "Bones…" He mumbled, unsure if it was a groan or a whine as she pushed her lips away from his and stared into his eyes.

"What are we doing?" She whispered, swallowing hard, he couldn't keep his eyes off her swollen lips for a moment. "Booth?" She said, demanding his attention, his eyes moved to hers, and he shrugged.

"Keeping warm?" He shrugged again, trying to keep the sheepish grin from his lips.

"That… was what I was doing… what are you doing?" She asked, her lower lip slipping beneath her teeth. "It started earlier… you weaseling your way into my apartment… the foot massage… the inappropriate kisses to my feet. I wasn't sure that those things were what partners do." She said innocently. "And now this semi-romantic walk in the woods with no set destination… the kissing, and the mysterious fragile objects in your knapsack…"

"See… that sounded dirty, Bones… you've got to watch what you say…" Booth chuckled as she smacked his chest again. If he could see in the darkness, he'd know how red her face had turned at that last comment.

"Stop acting childish…"

"Start acting childish." He replied, his voice serious for a moment. "And I thought that this was an extremely romantic walk…"

"I'm not so sure that you jumping from trees simply to elicit a frightened reaction from me, and carrying me over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes are things I'd define as extremely romantic."

"I think it's very romantic…" He said, kissing her tenderly on the lips as he took a step back. "Are you ready to keep going?"

"I guess." She said, sighing while she watched his eyes, sparkling in the moonlight, she smiled. "Let's go…" She whispered, taking his hand as she stood up, they once again continued their ascent up the mountain together, though this time, she kept a firm grip on her partner's hand, and not simply because she didn't want him to jump out at her again.


	8. Close to Perfect

**_Chapter 8- Close to Perfect_**

The last leg of the path was extremely steep, and rocky, and each climbed up toward the summit with their own flashlight, the silence between them friendly and full of excitement as they neared the top. Brennan made sure that Booth went ahead, he had laughed and promised that he wouldn't leave her behind, but she had still insisted, keeping pace with him the entire time.

Booth stepped onto the rock first, pulling his weight onto the summit, there was a soft breeze that cooled the air, and he reached his hand down for his partner to grasp, pulling her up, and against him, he smiled shyly. "We made it to the top." He said proudly, looking down at her as they caught their breath. He then turned, her hand still his as they walked across the rocky top of the mountain, their calves aching slightly from the continuous uphill climb.

"We made it to the top!" She repeated, her smile radiating in the darkness as he flicked his flashlight off, he released her hand and pulled his pack from his back and shoved it in one of the zippered portions. "Now… now what do we do?" She asked, giving Booth a sideways look that made him chuckle.

"We sit here and enjoy ourselves." He said with a nod, looking up at the sky as he took several steps across the flatter rocky surface.

"Where are you going?" She asked, following after him, she watched as he moved across the summit, finding a place where the rocks were clear, he knelt down. The entire sky opened up to them on the summit, the trees that they had climbed among were below them, and there was a full 360 degree view of darkness and stars, the moon bright in the sky above them.

"Just here… come here…" He said, reaching into his bag, he pulled out a folded blanket. "Here, spread this on the rock, we can sit on that…" He watched her take the blanket and take several steps to his left, watching her step carefully, she spread the blanket across the rock. He followed her with the bag and moved swiftly to sit down on it, he patted the spot next to him. "Here, Bones… sit down… take a load off…" He said, moving his hand through his bag as she sat beside him in the darkness, flicking off the flashlight, she handed it to him. He placed it in his bag and pulled out a plastic container and set it between them.

"What's that?" She asked curiously, the darkness enveloping them both, but for the soft glow of the moon.

"Just a little snack." He said, offering the container to his partner, she reached her hand into it, and watched him curiously, a smile rising on her lips as she touched the contents of the container.

"Strawberries…" She said, the smile on her lips was evident in her voice as she pulled one from the container. "Thank you."

"They're not just strawberries… they're fresh picked strawberries…" He said, nodding as he watched her in the darkness as she brought the fruit to her lips, taking a slow bite from the tender flesh of the fruit.

"Mm…" She said, chewing slowly, she licked her lips. "Very sweet."

"They're the best strawberries in D.C …" He said, leaning back slowly onto the blanket, he stared up into the sky, his eyes flashing to his partner as she took another strawberry from the container.

"That's just your opinion, obviously… that they're the best strawberries in D.C, because most strawberries are grown in fields that use pesticides and fertilizers that could compromise the integrity of the fruit, and…"

"Leave it to you to ruin my strawberries…" He said, grabbing the container from his partner, he pulled the cover over it.

"Hey, I wasn't done with those!" She said, listening to him laugh at her reaction.

"Save some for later." He replied, lifting his hand, he rested it on her back. He worked very slow, delicate circles. He could feel her warmth through the sweatshirt, and when he looked away from the sky for a moment, he noticed she was looking down at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked in a suggestive tone while he gathered some of the material of the sweatshirt in his hand and tugged.

"Trying to get you to come closer." He said softly. She paused for a moment, her eyes still watching his moonlit form as his hand tugged the sweatshirt again.

Almost timidly, she moved closer to him, lying down on her back she looked up at the stars as well. She felt his arm move up, tucking itself below her head for a pillow, she turned onto her side and rested her head on his chest, the pounding of this heart was a good indication of his anxiety, and she tried to time his pulse from its beats, her mind ever scientific, and ever working. She tilted her head and looked up, resting her head on his shoulder after a moment, her hand settled comfortably on his chest as she shifted to become comfortable. "It's beautiful out here." She whispered softly, feeling his arm squeeze her slightly.

"It is." He whispered back, his head tilting to side to drop a kiss at the top of her head, breathing deeply the scent of her shampoo and her closeness.

"You've been here before?"

"Several times."

"With other women?"

There was a pause for a moment, and she considered that perhaps he was embarrassed by this, the fact that he had invited other women hiking in the night to look at the stars.

"Never." He replied, surprising her.

"Really?" She asked, turning her head, she looked at his face. She couldn't see his eyes, or his physical reaction, but she felt him squeeze her just a little tighter.

"Really."

"Why not? This appears to be a nice, peaceful, private place to copulate." She said as he loosed his hold at her last word. "It's very romantic."

"Bones, you really know how to take advantage of the mood, don't you?" He said with a slightly sarcastic tone that unnerved her, relieved when he let out a slight chuckle.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"Don't apologize. I expect to hear things like that from you. It's one of the million things I like about you." He said, turning his head so that he could see her face, the moonlight gave her white skin a soft glow, and he could see that her brow was furrowed. He turned his head a little more, and kissed her forehead, listening to her sigh slightly. "What's wrong? You're upset because you think there are only a million things that I like about, aren't you?" He asked with a bit of humor to his voice, listening to her giggle as she relaxed in his arms.

"No."

"Then what is it… why is there this stubborn line in your forehead that keeps appearing? You're thinking about something."

"We're all constantly thinking about something, Booth. We can't just turn our minds off."

"Well then… what are you currently thinking about?" He asked with interest, a sincere tone in his voice.

"About… today… I mean, yesterday… about the report, and the mistake, and how I've never done that before. I didn't even realize that I sent you the wrong report, and it wasn't complete. It was horrible, and I'm embarrassed, and it was sloppy, and…"

"Bones, stop." Booth whispered. "It's over and done with."

"But I made a mistake."

"And you fixed it."

"Fixing it does not negate the fact that it happened."

"I hate to tell you this, Bones… but you're not perfect. None of us are perfect."

"I know that."

"Then why are you trying so hard to be perfect, if you know that you can't be it."

"You can't stop trying, Booth. If you stop trying, then you… you… end up sloppy and messed up, and you won't make anything of yourself." She said definitively. Booth chuckled, and she appeared to close herself off for a moment. He knew he shouldn't have, but there was more to why he did it than what she was thinking. The silence was becoming slightly awkward, and he chuckled again. "What?" She asked, defensively.

"You've already made something of yourself, Bones. It's high time you stopped taking yourself so seriously."

"I love my job, Booth. I love trying to do my best."

"And you are the best… a couple of typos on a stupid report isn't going to change that." He said, his voice a low grumble as he pulled her closer to him, setting another kiss on her forehead, he felt the line that had been there disappear beneath the touch of his lips. "How are you doing, Bones… Warm?" He whispered, waiting for her reply, he felt her shift onto her side once more, resting her head on his chest, her hand beneath her cheek as she breathed in the scent of him for a moment.

"As close to perfect as I can get…" She nodded.

"Good." He whispered, lifting his hand to run it through her hair, they settled together comfortably as they listened to the sound of nature around them, and cuddled together against the slight chill of the mountain air.


	9. Willing Subject

**_Chapter 9- Willing Subject_**

Booth felt her shiver in his arms, just slightly, but it was there. "You okay?" He whispered softly, his voice floating on the gentle breeze, he felt her hand grasp his sweatshirt slightly, and release the grip.

"Yes." She whispered.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked sincerely, her deep intake of breath not lost on the sniper trained FBI agent as he listen to her release it slowly.

"A lot of things…"

"Can you be more specific?" He asked with a slight chuckle.

"I'm just wondering why you decided to pursue this… tonight."

"Pursue what?" He asked innocently, unsure of exactly what she meant, though he was fairly sure he had a feeling he knew what she was talking about, but wanted to hear it from her.

"The romantic… gestures." She shrugged. "Is it because I was upset?" She asked, her eyes moving toward his, sparkling along with the stars, he could feel her warm breath on his skin, and it made his heart beat just a little quicker.

"As I recall…" He nodded most assuredly. "The kissing was your idea."

"No… No, no it wasn't…" She said, pushing off of him into a sitting position, she poked him with her finger. "You kissed my feet earlier, that was the start of it all." She said, her voice was defensive and high pitched, and though she didn't seem humored at all, she couldn't help but smile when she heard his gentle laugh.

"You noticed that, huh?" He asked innocently.

"Booth, I can't remember the last time anyone has gotten that close to my foot without needing to be put in traction afterwards." She replied, still sitting above him, she listened to his laugh again, a light laughter that warmed his heart. She tipped her head and looked up at the sky, her eyes on the stars as she shivered again.

"You're cold." He said, starting to sit up, she turned her head to watch him.

"I'm okay…"

"No, no… you're cold…" He said, standing up, he walked around his bag and crouched down, moving some things around.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see…" he said, blocking her view as he opened something, and the flashlight turned on for a second, but she couldn't see around him. "I know you're trying to peek." He said as he flicked the flashlight off. "No peeking." He said, standing up, she watched him walk around in front of her, and then behind her with something in his hand. He walked carefully. She then felt him settling behind her, his legs now on either side of her, straddling her carefully as he sat down on the blanket behind her, stretching his arms around her, he held a cup in his hands.

"What is this?" She asked, already smelling the sweet chocolate scent of the contents of the cup, but she wanted him to tell her.

"Hot chocolate." He whispered. "It'll keep us warm until the light show starts." He said softly, feeling her hands clasp on his as she carefully took the cup from him.

"Light show?" She whispered.

"The sunrise from this mountain is spectacular." He whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her neck as she felt her skin react to his closeness.

"Sunrise? That's not for a few hours." She swallowed hard as she felt her pulse race, his breath still warming her cheek as she brought the hot chocolate to her lips, sipping from it carefully.

"Well…" He said in a deep, soft voice. "We're going to have to keep ourselves amused somehow, aren't we?" He asked, quite a bit amused when she shivered again. "You should keep sipping that hot chocolate, Bones… you keep shivering."

"Yeah." She whispered, taking another sip of the hot chocolate, she stared straight ahead for several moments, when she felt his hands wrap around hers as he slipped the mug from her fingertips.

"My turn." He whispered, leaving a cool, soft kiss on her temple as he retrieved the cup, taking a sip for himself, warming his lips as he handed the mug back to her, feeling her melt into his arms as she leaned back against him.

"Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I like you." She whispered. Her voice was small and so vulnerable sounding that it was clearly something she thought ridiculous to say, though Bones never said anything ridiculous. She just didn't know where to go from there. The flirting had been going on for months, maybe years if she really thought about it, and Booth had come through for her, even though he had originally made her upset with his words and actions regarding her earlier mistake. The intense flirting, starting with the foot massage… that was new… that was different, but it was definitely something she could get used to. "Booth?" She whispered, unsure if he had heard her, for the pause after her words was so silent, that she began to panic slightly, that was of course until she felt the gentle vibration of his laughter deep in his chest. "Are you laughing at me?" She whispered, her voice even higher than her confession, she almost felt as if she were going to cry, until she felt his arms wrap around her waist, and his chin on her shoulder as he squeezed her lightly and kissed her cheek.

"I think I like you too." He replied breathily in her ear, the feeling of air puffing across her face making her almost gasp as a barely audible squeak could be heard. "Are you okay?" He whispered, lifting the mug from her hands again, he sipped the remaining contents and placed the cup beside them, just as without warning, she pushed her body backwards against him. "Bones?" He laughed. Before he could right himself, she pushed back harder, sending him backwards softly as she turned. Her movements were nearly smooth, and not too quick so he was able to pull his hand up behind his head before it moved against the rock, but before he could say another word, she was twisted on top of him, her body resting on his, the gentle weight of his partner pressed against him, their faces nose to nose. "Bones, what are you doing?" He asked gently as she looked down at him and tipped her head curiously.

"Trying to prove a theory." She whispered, a cocky smile whisking away that curious look in a millisecond. Her voice was husky and low, and her eyes were sparkling down on his as he laughed a little.

"You and your science, Bones." He whispered as he leaned up, his lips barely touching hers when she responded.

"Oh yeah? Where would we be right now if it weren't for my science?"

"Well, I suppose we would never have met, huh?" Their lips just a heartbeat away from one another's.

"I suppose you're right." She swallowed. "And since… my science is rarely incorrect… I'm going to need to test my hypothesis, and in order for me to… test my hypothesis… I'm going to need to conduct a series of experiments." She whispered.

"Experiments?" He asked, pushing his head back a little bit, he sounded unconvinced, playing along with her.

"Yes." She whispered. "Experiments… but you know, only if you're up for them."

"You've found a willing subject here, Bones." He breathed softly as he leaned up to catch her lips, only for her to pull away suddenly and turn quickly, sitting up back where she had been several moments earlier.

"Good." She said, her voice sounding quite pleased with herself, she listened to the frustrated growl from her partner behind her. "Just making sure you're up for the chase."

"Bones!" He exclaimed with a half frustrated, half amused growl.

"Hush, you're ruining the mood…" She teased, squealing as his hands reached up and grabbed her sides, sending her reeling over the rock as they laughed and rolled across the blanket together.


	10. Inertia

**_Chapter 10- Inertia_**

Settled and comfortable, Booth held Bones in his arms, leaning against a rock with their blanket pulled tightly around them to keep warm. They talked for a few minutes about this or that, but eventually she had gone silent, and before long he could hear the gentle snores of his partner from below him. He cuddled her close to him and rested his head on hers as he closed his eyes for a few minutes.

It had been a rough day for her, for him as well, and though he felt that he had taken her away from the thoughts and stresses of work, he could still feel the stiffness of her body, the tension that had worked its way nearly permanently into her body as he held her. She had melted into his body as if she were meant to be there, and after another moment or two, rolled to her side in his lap and nestled her head in his shoulder as she held his arm. His free arm stretched slightly to slowly rub her back, and the sleepy sounds that came from his usually talkative partner were tender and soft.

He leaned his head down and buried his nose in her hair, keeping watch over the night as he drifted in and out of sleep. He had been trained to go on minimal sleep, so it never fazed him if he were only able to get an hour or two in. He held her securely in his arms and closed his eyes, drifting off into a light sleep.

Before he had even realized it, the sun was starting its slow ascension in the sky, and he opened his eyes to a light navy blue that was sprinkled with a touch of other colors. "Bones?" He said softly, holding her carefully so he wouldn't startle her. "Bones… the sun is coming up." A low growl whispered from between her lips as she buried her face in his shoulder. "Bones, you're going to miss it." He said, as she looked up at him. Her eyes were full of sleep, but the light blue of her eyes seemed to deepen in the light that was beginning to brighten the sky.

"The sunrise is not instantaneous, Booth." She mumbled, watching his eyes crinkle in the corners as a smile took charge of his lips.

"All you have to do is open your eyes, Bones." He whispered. "It's all right in front of you." He said as she turned her head and looked out into where just hours before was just darkness. The sky was lightening up, and there were streaks of red, orange, and yellow that was beginning to form where the sun was attempting to make its first appearance for the day. Booth buried his nose in her hair for a moment, kissing the top of her head as they sat in a companionable silence. The colors changed in the sky, minute to minute and the dark mountains before them lightened to a deep blue green. Booth could have sworn he heard a gasp from his partner as the fog ever so slowly lifted from the valley, joining the small wisps of cloud in the sky. "It's breathtaking, isn't it?" He asked, though her silence was enough of a reply for him. "This is the highest point in the Shenandoah mountain range." He said, resting his cheek on the side of her head as she simply stared out at the scene unfolding before her.

"Booth…" She whispered.

"Hmm…?" He replied softly.

"I would… I mean… I have to… this is one of the nicest things that anyone…" She paused. "This is by far the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me. To show me a place like this… it's so serene and… beautiful."

"And stress free… quiet, peaceful… perfect... not filled with squinty, shiny, science and skeletons."

"I love it here." She whispered. "How often do you come here?"

"I haven't been here in a couple of months now… Sometimes when you go out on a dig or something, or when I'm feeling kind of alone I'll come up here. I brought Parker here when he was really little, I had one of those backpacks that he could just sit in while I climbed. I've been thinking of bringing him here again… showing him this place, now that he's a little older."

"He'd like that." Bones whispered as she looked out as the sun began peeking over the mountains. "I like it, I might even be able to say that I love it here."

"Well, you could come with us." He shrugged.

She turned her head and looked up into his eyes, finding them full of hope and curiosity. "I don't know if I'd do that… this would be a good bonding experience for you and Parker, I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You don't intrude, Bones. You never intrude. If I didn't want you there, I wouldn't have just invited you. We should do that, the three of us." He whispered definitively, surprised when his partner failed to offer a rebuttal, instead her eyes were focused on the sunrise before them, and they settled into a tender silence.

"Booth?" She whispered softly.

"Hmm?"

"If we were just climbing up here to see the sunrise…" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Why did you tell me to pack a bag?"

"Because the weekend has only started, Bones. There is plenty more that we can do." He whispered softly. It was light enough out that he could see the flush of her cheeks as he held her. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss at her temple. "If you are uncomfortable at any time, Bones…" He started, pausing as she turned her eyes to meet his. He smiled at the look of irritation in her eyes, and watched as the brightening colors of the sunrise lit her eyes just so. They held their gaze for quite a long time before she felt the corner of her lip turn up in a sly grin. "I'll just shut up." He nodded.

"Good choice." She said, leaning up to kiss his cheek, he smiled at her as she turned her head toward the sky once more.

"Bones?" He said almost immediately, his attention straight ahead on the sky as she leaned her head back on his chest. "Why doesn't it feel uncomfortable?"

"What?" She mumbled against him, glancing up at him and then back to the view.

"This." He whispered. "Why does it feel like we've always been like this?"

"Sitting on a mountain at dawn?"

"This comfortable… why does it feel like we've always been like this together, Bones? Why does it feel like this isn't the first time I've held you in my arms?"

"It's not the first time you've held me, Booth." She shrugged. "But it's probably because we trust one another implicitly… without a doubt. I know that you would never do something to hurt me on purpose. And despite your constant attempts at acting like the stupid one in our partnership, your knack for intuition has proven itself to be useful on more than one occasion. And even though I don't believe in luck or intuition… I believe in you." She shrugged against him, as if she had told him that fact a million times. She felt his arms tighten on her a bit, feeling the warmth of his body against hers made her face flush again.

"Thanks, Bones." He whispered.

"You still haven't answered my question though." She replied.

"You asked a question?" He said, feeling a light pointy jab of her elbow in his rib, he winced. "What was your question, Bones?" He said, chuckling lightly in her ear.

"Why tonight… last night… why?"

"Does there have to be a reason?"

"There's a reason for everything, Booth. You don't make snap decisions… I know that about you."

"You're right." He nodded.

"So why last night?"

Booth was silent for several minutes, his focus was past her and on the rising fog. The colors of the sky were reflecting a bright orange on them at this point, and everything seemed as if it were being viewed through a filter of some sort. His eyes were on the sky, when they suddenly focused on a boot that was sticking out from the blanket, wobbling almost nervously, though he knew it was impatience that was causing the limb to move, and he smiled. He kissed her cheek again, and watched in slight amusement when her foot began to wiggle a little faster.

"I hate when you cry." He whispered softly, clearing his throat as he sighed. "I mean… I hate when I make you cry."

"You don't make me cry." She whispered, her foot mysteriously still suddenly.

"I did yesterday. I made you feel small."

"I don't think that a simple argument is going to cause me to think I'm shrinking, Booth."

"Not physically, Bones… huh? I mean… you know what I mean, stop with the squinty scientist thing for one second."

"I know what you mean… you are saying that you made me feel insignificant."

"Yes. I did."

"And you already apologized for that, many, many times."

"It isn't enough." He whispered.

"So these are gestures of penance?" She asked, starting to turn around in his arms, he tipped his head back in annoyance.

"No, Bones… it's not penance…"

"Then what is it?"

"It's…" He stopped, the words were on the tip of his tongue, and he sighed and shook his head.

"Booth!"

"I'm not ready to say it, Bones. I don't know if you're ready to hear it… and it would be unfair of me to force it on you." He said, watching her foot begin to dance again, with newfound fervor.

"You're being ridiculous." She pouted.

"I'm being thoughtful." He replied.

"Modest, too." She huffed.

"Bones…" He grumbled.

"It's fine." She sighed, shifting a bit, lifting herself up from against him, she claimed her distance between them and he accepted it.

"You're stubborn." He whispered.

"You're antagonistic."

"You're making something out of nothing."

"You're being difficult!"

"You're forcing the issue!"

"You're going to get an elbow to the gut if you keep talking."

"You're going to get tickled if you keep it up." He said, watching her head snap back to look at him, the glare of contempt in her eyes was anything but serious and he knew it.

"You wouldn't dare."

"I would dare…" He whispered, watching her move forward, she pulled the blankets from around her and turned around, kneeling in front of him as he eyed her carefully, the glare in her eyes quickly disappeared as soon as they came eye to eye. The colors of the sky were lightening up, and the blue above them was becoming lighter by the second as they stared at one another. "What do you think you're doing?" He whispered, catching every nuance of that look of mischievousness in his partner's eyes.

"Newton's first law of motion." She said with a challenging glance, her eyebrow rose as she dared him with her eyes.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You… that's what you're doing… that's why you decided to pursue this." She said, watching an amused look of confusion cloud her partner's features.

"What?"

"Newton's first law of motion is that… objects at rest will stay at rest until an unbalanced force acts upon it… and an object in motion… will not change velocity unless an unbalanced force is upon it!" She exclaimed excitedly as he threw his head back and laughed.

"You're not even making sense anymore, Bones!" He exclaimed with a laugh as she approached him quickly, her body so close to him that their noses were practically touching. Her eyes were bright and full of excitement as she shoved her finger into his chest.

"You and I are the objects… and… we were at the status quo… you made this unbalanced." She said as she motioned between the two of them. "When you shouted at me."

"Bones…" He laughed.

"When you offered that massage, when you kissed my foot!" She exclaimed.

"Bones!" He laughed harder as she glared at him.

"Stop laughing." She said, smacking his shoulder.

"I can't help it…" He said, shaking his head as he continued to laugh playfully, watching the smile on her face appear.

"Booth, stop it!"

"I'm sorry, Bones… go ahead…" he sighed the laughter out of his system as he shook his head and listened.

"And…you… saw that I was hurting, you tried to make that better… so you decided to give me that foot massage. I accepted it, so you took it to the next level…"

"The foot kissing." He rolled his eyes.

"I liked it." She admitted softly. "Then… you brought me here…"

"Are you saying that you think my ultimate goal is to take things to another level entirely."

"I don't know what your ultimate goal is." She whispered, watching his eyes stealing a glance at her lips, and back to her bright blue eyes as he watched them narrow.

"You think I'm trying to prove some kind of law…"

"It's one of the many laws of physics, Booth."

"Hm…" He said simply, his eyebrows rising as he tipped his head curiously. "And you think that I had all of this planned…?"

"Maybe."

"Can't I just be a nice guy?"

"Maybe." She whispered, her eyes flicking to his lips and back to his eyes, his head pulled back.

"What was that?"

"What was what?" She asked, astounded that she had been caught.

"What was that law again?" he whispered, swallowing hard as he stole a glance at her lips, he moved his face within a breath of hers.

"The law of inertia?"

"Whatever." He shrugged. Just as she was starting to speak, his lips touched hers. He tried for tender and sweet, but the moment she put her hands in his hair, he lost control, pushing himself forward, he buried his tongue between her lips and rolled her onto her back. He held himself up, pushing his body tenderly into hers as she moaned against his lips, her tongue and lips just as eager to be whet by his. She rolled them on the blanket, and for a moment they lost their balance and rolled across the smooth rock summit as their kisses became more eager, their hands roaming the hems of sweatshirts, and just as his hand touched the skin of her stomach, a sudden loud screeching sound sent him jumping away from her.

He swung back and landed hard against a rock, slamming his head against it, lay dazed for a second. Bones looked shocked, her eyes wide with surprise at both the kiss, and the sudden end of the kiss. "Booth? Booth, what's wrong?" She exclaimed, sitting up as she moved toward him, lying on the ground, now holding his head in his hand.

"What the hell was that…" He growled as he noticed the wing span of a peregrine falcon flying overhead, another screech emanating from the bird, loud and obnoxious, it was almost as if it was laughing at him. Bones looked up at the beautiful bird, circling around them and the trees nearby, she looked down at her partner, a sheepish, embarrassed look on his face as she tried not to laugh. "Bones!" He exclaimed as she looked back up at the bird. At the sound of his retort, she covered her mouth as she attempted not to laugh. "Stop laughing at me!"

"Are you okay?" She asked, the laughter evident in her eyes as she went to him and knelt by his head, helping him to sit up.

"I slammed my head pretty hard." He mumbled as she ran her fingers through his hair, feeling the bump from where he had slammed it into the rock.

"No bleeding… just a slight contusion…" She whispered as she leaned down, dropping a delicate kiss on his head, she raised her eyes to his as he gave her a child like smile.

"Thanks, Bones."

"All better?" She whispered, her cheeks flushed, her eyes sparkling.

"Yeah…" He laughed, looking around at the mess they had made, he sighed. The sun had made it past the mountain and was now hanging in the sky with the brighter shades of orange and pink having faded, and the warmth of it was now upon them. "Why don't we have a little snack… and head down the mountain for our next adventure." He said, shrugging as she nodded her head in approval.

"Sounds like a plan." She whispered, leaning forward, she left a tender kiss on his lips. "We'll continue this conversation later." She said with a nod, standing up and moving away from him, she couldn't keep the smile off her face.


	11. Catch Me if You Can

**Chapter 11- Catch Me if you Can**

Booth gathered their things, packing everything into his backpack, and swung it onto his back and looked around for his partner, he realized she was nowhere to be seen. "Bones?" He called, looking around. The sun had risen to its brightest yet for the day, and the clouds were here and there in the sky, making for a beautiful day as the warmth of the morning began to seep through his sweatshirt. "Bones, where did you go?" He called.

"I'm over here." She replied, her voice clear, coming from behind a set of trees that he knew he'd find a clearing behind as he shifted the backpack on his back and followed after the sound of her voice.

"Are you ready to get going?" He asked, stepping around the corner, he saw that her back was turned to him, her hair had been pulled up into a ponytail and wisps of auburn-brown hair floated gently on the summer breeze. She turned around, and he was immediately taken aback by her steely blue eyes staring directly into his, and he almost gasped at the beauty before him.

"Are you okay?" Immediately catching the dazed look in his eye, she watched him shake his head subtly, and she smiled.

"Huh? Oh… yeah… yeah, I'm fine… just… you know, I haven't had any coffee yet or anything, and I was awake all night, so… you know… bad mix." He said with a tender smile that sent her lips turning up into a grin of her own.

"You know…" She said, walking toward him, her stride sure and full of vigor, her smile infectious. "Caffeine addiction is probably one of the most common addictions outside of nicotine, and it can really do a number on your central nervous system." She said as she stopped beside him, looking up into his eyes.

"I can think of a few other addictions that are bad for my central nervous system." He said, raising his eyebrows, he listened to her giggle as she shook her head and tried to get past him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, letting her land in his arms as he wrapped his around her and looked down at her. "I was talking about you."

"I know what you were talking about." She whispered shyly, letting him rest his forehead on hers while he watched her eyes sparkle. "Where are we going now?" She shrugged.

"You'll see." He said, kissing her solidly on the lips, and grabbing her hand as he turned and walked back toward the path with her.

------------------

The climb down was fairly quiet, quicker than the trip up the mountain since they could now see where they were going. They listened to the sound of the birds chirping in the early morning air, and could feel the warmth of the summer air around them. Booth let Brennan lead, when suddenly she stopped. He almost ran into her, putting his hands out to stabilize himself, her hand went directly over his mouth when he opened it to ask her why she had stopped so suddenly. He gave her an awkward glance and followed her finger as she pointed into the woods. Booth's eyes widened at the site, a doe and a fawn munching on bits of grass several yards to the left. She moved her hand from his mouth to his hand, giving it a soft squeeze as he stepped forward and bent down toward her ear.

"Thank you." He whispered, watching her head turn toward him, she captured his lips with hers and smiled against his mouth when he pulled her closer to him. As she pulled herself into him, she tried to stabilize herself, and ended up stepping on a stick, sending the deer running off into the woods. "You scared them." He mumbled against her lips.

"Shh…" She whispered, slipping her tongue over his bottom lip, he groaned as she practically hung from him, pulling him in for a deeper kiss. She could feel his hands exploring her hips and her waist over her clothes, his breath ragged with lack of breath. He pulled from the kiss delicately, ensuring she wasn't going to pull him into her for more, and they looked into one another's eyes for a moment. "This feels weird." She whispered.

"Does it?"

"Not bad weird."

"How can weird be good?"

"It's different weird…" She explained. "I don't know."

"Oh, you know." He chuckled and let his lips settle on hers again.

"I like you." She whispered, pulling from the embrace, she left a peck on his cheek before releasing her hands from behind his head, she started back down the trail.

"You're nothing but a tease." He joked with her as he stayed where she had stopped him.

"Sure I am." She said, looking up at him with a sly grin.

"I'm just trying to prove Newton's second law of motion…" She said, watching his eyebrow raise as she stopped and looked at him, the smile on her face growing to a full grown grin.

"And what is that, Squinty McGee?"

"Huh?"

"What's the second law?" he asked, stopping right behind her.

"Acceleration… Is… directly proportional to force." She whispered, taking a step toward him.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, stepping toward her, he gasped when she grabbed his belt buckle suddenly and pulled him toward her with force, slamming their bodies together, she kept her hand on the belt buckle, her fingertips touching his skin as he let out a slight gasp.

"Yeah." She said, her voice teasing, her eyes a smoky blue like he had never seen before.

"Bones?" He whispered, out of breath.

"What?" She asked, leaning forward to touch his lips with hers, coming within a breath of them.

"Just prove your law already." He said, swallowing hard as he resisted her lips.

She licked her lips slightly, the tip of her tongue grazing his as he licked his own lips to taste hers, his hands at his side for a moment. "Booth?"

"Huh?"

"You can't catch me…" She said, as suddenly she turned and broke free, running as quickly as she could down the path and the mountain, laughing.

It took him a moment, and he realized she had taken off, and when he recovered, he shouted for her. "Hey! That's not fair!" He exclaimed, watching her bounce from rock to rock down the mountain, laughing the entire way, as he made his way after her as quickly as he could, and laughing the entire time.


	12. All Fun and Games Until

**Chapter 12- All Fun and Games until... **

She ran quickly and deftly down the mountain trail, laughing as she went, her hair bouncing in the ponytail. Booth watched her avoid his grasp a number of times as he chased her down the mountain, marveling at her childlike innocence that he rarely ever had the privilege to see. Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her act so childlike and alive, if he had ever seen it before. "Bones?" He called after her, watching her hop from rock to rock as she slowed, sliding to a stop with him above her.

"What?" She asked, looking up at him, taking another step or two forward to keep her balance, she smiled up at him with a brilliant grin that just sent his heart soaring.

"Nothing..." He said, shaking his head, taking a step, he put his hand on a tree beside him as he breathed the morning air. "Just taking a break for a second."

"A break?" She snickered. "Are you old or something? Do you need a walker to get you the rest of the way down the mountain? I can call some search and rescue people if you don't think you can…"

"Funny, Bones!" He said as he took a step forward, watching her step backwards, he knew that if he approached her, she'd take off again, so he pushed his back against the tree and looked up the mountain.

"Hey, are you alright?" She asked, her smile disappearing for a moment as her eyes filled with concern. She watched his eyes flash to hers again, and she saw the smile on his face.

"I'm okay… just trying to figure some stuff out in my head." He said. "I don't have that super computer of a brain like you do."

"Just because I have above average intelligence, doesn't mean that I don't have to think things over. Are you feeling regretful about anything?" She asked seriously.

"No." He replied immediately, his eyes suddenly on hers, intense and serious. "No regrets, Bones. I don't do things without thinking first." He replied, seeing the sharp upturn of her lips, that half smile that always got him to react.

"That is very true." She nodded, pursing her lips. "You seldom do anything without thinking about it thoroughly first."

"Right." He said, taking a step toward her, he waited for her to make a break for it again, and was pleasantly surprised when she turned her hand palm side up for him to take it.

"Let's take the rest of the way down slower then." She said, shrugging. "That way… you know, by the time we get to the bottom, you'll have figured some things out."

"Like where to have breakfast." He said, taking her hand in his, he leaned down to kiss her cheek, finding though that she had turned her face toward his, and placed a kiss herself on his lips.

"You're always thinking about food." She replied as they continued to walk together.

"Not always…" he said with a tug of her arm, he put his arm around her shoulder and this time succeeded in dropping a kiss on her temple. "I'm not always thinking about food, Bones." He said as they slipped into a companionable silence.

------------------

They reached the end of the trail, and Booth shrugged the backpack off his back, walking around toward the back of the SUV, Brennan followed him. "Hey, boots…" He said, turning to see a confused look on her face, marked with a slight smirk. "What?"

"Nothing." She said, amusedly. "I thought maybe you were coming up with a new nickname for me."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, Bones… that's my new nickname for you when we're away from the office… Boots." He laughed as he opened the hatch and tossed the bag in.

"I kind of like it." She said, pulling herself up into the back of the SUV. "Terms of endearment are extremely common in romantic relationships. I've been called many things ranging from honey, sweetheart, darling, baby… none of which I've really latched onto…I very often find such monikers to be derisive and sexist, almost as if attempting to bring someone down to the level of a child, giving the person who is using the moniker some level of superiority over the person they're…" She carried on as she unlaced her boot, she looked up to watch him leaning against the car, his head shaking as he smiled. "What?"

"Nothing, Bones." He said, grabbing her boot, he pulled it from her foot and tossed it beside her as he walked to the passenger side, opening the door.

"What, you don't agree with me?" She called, wondering where he was going as she untied the other boot, she looked through the car and saw him closing the passenger door. "Booth?"

He stepped around the side of the car and tossed her sneakers into the back beside her, she gave him a grateful smile and he grabbed hold of the other boot, pulling it from her foot. "Just get your sneakers on and quit yappin', will ya, Boots?" He laughed, watching her eyes light up a bit when he spoke. He tossed her boot into the back of the truck and walked around to find his own sneakers. "I'm starving." He said in an amused tone, as she pulled her shoes on and prepared for their next adventure.

------------------

Booth navigated the roads carefully, his eyes focused on their destination. He could sense her crystal blue eyes staring into him, so he ventured a glance and smiled when she tipped her head and smiled at him. "There are a few places in Luray…" He said, turning his attention back to the road. "Then we can head up to the cabin, and get settled…"

"Cabin?" Her voice was supposed to sound curious, but he could sense a bit of fear within her question.

"Yeah." He said, looking toward her, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

"You… we… a cabin?"

"Wow, Boots…" He said, smiling brightly. "I don't think I've ever seen you speechless before." He laughed. "A buddy of mine has a cabin a little ways from Luray… He lets me crash there when I'm out this way… It's a good place to go when you're getting away from things. You're looking a little pale there, Boots, you alright?"

"Bones." She said, swallowing hard as she focused out the window now, her brow furrowed in concern. "I'm Bones." She whispered. "I'm fine." She whispered, watching them pull into town, and turn down the main street. "I just… I'm fine…" She nodded quietly, as Booth tried to keep his thoughts on the road, and not the wrinkle on his partner's forehead and the implications that most certainly applied to it.


	13. Cold One

**Chapter 13- Cold One... **

They arrived in town and found a small diner serving breakfast. Booth parked the car and glanced to his partner, her eyes focused straight ahead, that wrinkle still in her forehead. "Bones?" He said, her attention moving to him, her eyebrow rose. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Uh… yeah… I'm starving." She said, offering him a brief smile as she flicked off her seatbelt and opened the door without so much as a backwards glance. She closed the door, leaving Booth staring at her empty seat for a moment. He sighed, rolling his eyes as he climbed from the car and closed his door, following after her toward the building.

"Bones, Bones…" He said, jogging up to her, he grabbed her arm lightly as she approached the door, surprised when she pulled away and faced him.

"What?" She asked, her eyes no longer holding the warmth that they did while they were laughing and enjoying one another's company. This was the 'business' Bones that was looking back at him, this was the cut and dry forensic anthropologist, not the laughing and joking woman of just an hour earlier.

"Nothing." He said, reaching around her, he grabbed the door and opened it for her, watching her nod politely as they walked in together.

They were immediately seated at a booth, and sat across from one another, quietly taking the menu from the waitress, she smiled and nodded at them as they opened them up immediately.

"Listen, Bones." Booth said as he leaned across the table slightly. "I really didn't mean to freak you out…"

"You didn't freak me out." She said with an almost monotonous tone.

"I freaked you out, Bones… admit it… I mentioned a cabin, and you immediately thought that I took you out here to take advantage of you." He said, trying to hide the sly smile that was creeping up onto his lips, he tipped his head and watched her study the menu, and brought his menu up to hide his face. After a couple moments of silence, he jumped when her hand grabbed his menu and slammed it down on the table. "Hey!"

"Don't make a scene." She whispered, leaning over the table. "I just… don't think that it's appropriate." She said, her eyes staring into his eyes.

"The menu?"

"Booth." She grumbled.

"Relax, Bones… it's not a big deal." He said, trying to lift the menu to block his face again, she slammed it down again.

"It is a big deal." She whispered furiously.

"Do you mind?" He asked, pulling his menu out from under her hand, she reached across and grabbed it, tossing it to the floor. "Bones!"

"Stop being a baby." She said, leaning forward again as Booth stared at the menu on the floor. "Booth, I'm over here." She said, her voice demanding his attention as he threw her a faux glare and leaned down to get the menu. He sat up and she was still staring at him. "It 'is' a big deal."

"No, Bones… it really isn't." He replied, humored by her insistence as he kept the menu out of reach of her.

"How do you figure that?"

"You'll have to wait and see." He replied, watching her eyes narrow at him, her lips scrunch up in an irritated scowl. "You know, Bones… if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were bipolar or something."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means… you were happy until you assumed something… and then you became worried… and now…" He said, reaching for her hands, he watched her pull them away from him, he gave her a pointed look. "Now you're mad at me."

"I am not mad at you." She replied indignantly.

"Then why won't you let me touch your hands?"

"I don't want my hands touched right now." She said, looking at the menu once more, becoming engrossed in the writing. "And I'm not bipolar." She snapped. They stopped and looked up as the waitress approached the table cautiously, having not missed the argument between the two of them as she waited. She stepped forward, and they quietly ordered their food without so much as a glance to the person across the table.

-------------

Breakfast was quick and extremely quietly, Bones picked at her fruit salad, and Booth ate a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon with a side of corned beef hash. She resisted warning him about his cholesterol level, knowing that he wouldn't listen anyway, and probably just make fun of how all she ever ate was 'rabbit food' unless there was a plate of French fries in front of him.

The waitress brought the check over and took their plates, leaving the two of them sitting together quietly brooding over who was going to say something next. "Bones." Booth said, immediately breaking the silence. "Do you trust me?" He asked, his eyes on hers as she stare at him with a surprised expression at his question.

"Of course."

"How long have you trusted me?"

"Well… I'd like to think that I've always been able to trust you… since we've met."

"Have I ever betrayed our trust?"

"No."

"Have I ever done anything to purposefully hurt you…?"

"No… Booth?"

"Then just trust me now, okay? Don't ask any more questions… don't demand answers… and don't be mad at me… just… trust me." He said, reaching across the table for her hand. "I promise you, that this will be the most relaxing weekend that you've ever had in your entire life." He said, picking up the check from the table, he watched her tip her head and watch him, the frustration in her eyes waning as it was taken over by something different, something softer. "What?"

"Nothing…" She replied.

"It better be nothing…" He said, giving her a faux warning point, a faint smile on his face, though his eyes remained smiling. She raised her eyebrows at him and moved toward the edge of the booth, her eyes on him as she stood up. "Where are you going?"

"Don't ask questions." She said, the corner of her lip turning up as she started to walk away toward the restrooms, passing by him, she set her hand on his shoulder and slowly raked her fingers across his neck as she leaned in. "But… this cabin had better have a hot shower." She whispered in his ear as she stood up straight and made her way toward the bathroom without looking back.

Booth shivered a little as he watched her disappear around the corner. "Or a cold one…" He muttered to himself, sitting back in the booth as he stared at the check.


	14. Roughing it

**Chapter 14- Roughing it... **

Once they were back in the car, the conversation was spotty, but at least it was friendly. Brennan had relaxed considerably since the mention of the cabin, and Booth's insistence that she could trust him was one of the factors that this relaxation was depending upon. They drove through town, and Booth insisted on stopping at a grocery store for some supplies. Brennan had no qualms about his request, so she stayed in the care while he ran into the store for a few minutes. She watched him come toward the car with three bags of groceries, and she hopped out of the car to open the back hatch for him.

"What did you get?"

"Just some stuff." He said quietly.

"What kind of stuff?" She asked, craning her neck to see if she could see into the bag.

"Nosy little thing, aren't you?" He asked, folding the bag over as he started to close the back hatch, smiling at his partner when she glared at him and took a step back. "Thanks for opening the door, though." He said, smiling when she couldn't resist smiling back. She turned and walked toward her door, climbing into the car as he joined her and soon they were on their way.

They drove back toward the mountains, small bits of conversation floated between them and she smiled frequently as he drove, the relaxation of being away from the office was starting to sink in, and Booth could hear the bits of nuance in her voice that were different when she was away from the lab, the relaxation of vocabulary and the understanding of most of what was going on was clear in her facial expressions, and she wasn't trying so hard to sound smart and above everyone else. He caught her looking at him again as he turned onto a dirt road, and slowed the car to a stop. "What are you doing?"

"Just checking on you." He replied, shrugging. He leaned forward slightly and made a face. "I hope the rain holds out…" He sighed, glancing back at her.

"I'm fine, Booth… really. I just… I was just thinking a little too much." She said with a tight lipped smile.

"You? Thinking too much?" He asked, watching her mouth drop slightly as if she had a retort, closing it again, she shook her head.

"That's not very polite." She said sternly, though the bit of a smile on her lips was telling him that she was actually quite amused.

"Like I said yesterday, Bones, if you're uncomfortable with anything… speak up. You can trust me, though, I have nothing but honorable intentions." He said, reaching for her hand. She gripped his hand in hers and squeezed as he continued up the long unpaved road. They drove for about four miles through the woods along the gravel road, and from the brightness ahead, it was obvious that there was a clearing in the distance.

He drove slowly toward the clearing, and as the cabin came into view, Booth glanced to his partner to gauge her reaction. Her jaw dropped slightly at the sight before her. "Booth?" She whispered.

"Hmm?" He said, stopping at the wheel stops at the end of the driveway.

"This is not a cabin." She mumbled, staring up at the structure in front of them. It was not a rustic cabin by any stretch of the imagination, and Brennan was very surprised. She had pictured in her mind this small rustic wooden shack in the woods, of which she would be very lucky that it had running water. What they stopped beside, however was a two story log cabin, hanging over the mountain top with a large porch, and windows that lined the entire façade of the structure.

"Did I mention that my buddy is a judge, and he rarely gets out here?"

"No." She mumbled.

"Did I mention he has four kids, and this place has four bedrooms, a big screen television, hot tub, Jacuzzi, stone fireplace, and a huge wrap-around porch, sound system, and…"

"No, no… and no…" She mumbled. "This place is absolutely beautiful!" She exclaimed, stumbling out of the car, her eyes focusing on the structure as she looked out onto the property.

Booth stepped up behind her and put his hand on her waist as he looked out at the cabin and the view. "So you approve?" He whispered into her ear, feeling her tremble beneath his warm breath.

"It has running water?"

"How else do they turn on the hot tub, Bones?" He asked, watching her grin brighten her face. "Grab your bag… I'll show you inside." He said, walking around to the back of the SUV, he looked up at the sky and sighed at the dark clouds rolling in. "We may not be going anywhere this afternoon… but I think you'll find everything you need here." He said when he glanced over, watching as she had already grabbed her bag and was heading toward the front door of the cabin, a smile eagerly on her face, and if he wasn't mistaken, a slight skip in her step. Proud of himself and his choice to bring her here, Booth planted a smile on his own face, and followed his partner toward the door. He swung his keys out and reached around her, watching her face tip up to look at him, she looked like a little kid, eager to open a gift. He smiled down toward her and leaned down, kissing her nose. She scrunched her face and hopped a little, waiting for him to open the door. "Geez Bones… relax…"

"Open, open…" She said, grabbing the key, she twisted it in the lock and pushed the door open. As soon as she stepped into the cabin, she sucked in a surprised breath.

The cabin was decorated with rustic furniture, everything made of the same color wood as the actual structure. Books lined one of the walls, and the fireplace stood as a centerpiece against the far wall, huge windows flanking it. The porch was uncovered, but expansive, and the bedrooms were lined in a row on second floor loft area, one next to the other. The inside was wide open, the kitchen tucked in the corner with a dining room attached, a breakfast nook in the back beside the door to the screened porch. She looked around in awe as she turned back to Booth. "This is not what I pictured at all." She whispered.

"I had a feeling." He said with a smile as she grinned, swinging her bag off her shoulder, she turned to him. "The shower is off the master bedroom and there's another in the corner up there… you can pick whichever bedroom you like." He said, hoping that would keep her worries at bay for now. Her head snapped in his direction and her eyebrow rose slowly.

"Which bedroom are you taking?" She asked, the tone in her voice was taking on a playfully humored tone.

"I'm not picking my bedroom until later." He said, turning from her, he walked toward the windows, leaving her mouth gaping after him. He turned and saw her mouth close, her eyes narrow. "I just thought… this place would be big enough for the two of us to do our own thing… and relax." He shrugged.

"What if my thing… involves you?" She asked, taking a step toward him.

"Then we'll see what happens, won't we?" He said softly, stepping toward her, she stood still and adjusted her bag on her shoulder.

"I'm going to…"

"Shower… I gotcha… there are towels in the linen closet beside the bathroom. You can't miss it."

"Thank you." She said, walking toward the stairs. "Booth?" She said, watching his eyebrows rise curiously. "Really… thank you." She said with a smile, watching him nod with a grin, she hopped up the stairs quickly and disappeared into the master bedroom.


	15. Iced Tea

**Chapter 15- Iced Tea**

Booth listened for the water to turn on upstairs, and made his way back leisurely to the car. He opened up the back hatch of the SUV and gathered up the grocery bags that had been left there. He carefully closed the hatch and walked back toward the cabin. He had a self satisfied grin on his face, proud of himself for his idea to come here this weekend. He told himself that it was just to relax, but he could tell by the way things were moving between him and his partner that things could very easily get heated up quite quickly. He felt a small surge of excitement through his body with that prospect, but knew very well that the last thing he wanted to do was rush his partner into anything she wasn't ready for.

He stepped into the kitchen and began to put the groceries into their proper places, he hummed softly and placed the bottle of wine he had bought on the counter, his eyes moving to the label as he quietly hoped she would enjoy the choice. He was just putting the vegetables in the refrigerator when he was surprised by arms wrapping around his waist from behind him. He stood straight for a moment, nearly jumping from the contact, until his body realized whose arms exactly were encircling him. "What are you doing, Bones?" He asked, feeling her squeeze him softly, her head resting on his back.

"Just saw something I liked, and went for it." She sighed softly, looking up as he looked over his shoulder with raised eyebrows. "Sorry." She said, stepping backwards, she acted as if she was ashamed of her actions and he smiled at her suddenly timid display. Her cheeks were turning bright red as she turned to walk into the living room, and he immediately felt bad.

"Bones…" He said, noting that she may have thought he was laughing at her, he wiped the smile off his face and watched as she turned around. Her eyes were showing a bit of hurt in them, and for that he felt guilty. "Hey… why don't I get us some iced tea… we can sit out on the deck before it starts to rain." He asked, his eyes moving slowly over her features, realizing just now what she was wearing. Her hair was still wet from the shower, though brushed through and hanging over her shoulders, dripping tiny droplets of water over her shoulders. She was wearing a white t-shirt, hugging her body in all of the right places and a pair of khaki Capri pants that squeezed her hips just tight enough that he could see every curve on her body. Her feet were bare, toes wiggling against the stone tile floor. She was, in a word, perfect, and he was finding it quite difficult to breathe at the moment.

"Booth?" She said, her tone indicating that it was indeed, not the first time she had attempted to get his attention.

"Sorry." He said, watching the impatient look on her face as his lower lip slipped into his mouth. "What did you say?"

"I asked you which deck you wanted to meet me on…" She said, her eyebrows rose in a moment of humored silence, noting that he was becoming quite flustered.

"Pick a chair, I'll find you." He said, watching her nod as she turned around and moved toward the glass doors, her feet slapping against the stone floor, sending little surges of electricity through his body. He needed to take a deep breath and relax, or he wasn't going to get anything done comfortably.

-----------

He found her sitting on a lounge chair on the front deck, sitting up on the edge of it, looking through the railings out onto the mountains. He opened the glass door and stepped out, holding a tray with two glasses of iced tea, each with a slice of lemon carefully sliced and placed on the glass. "You know, the lounge chair has a back on it like that for a reason, Bones… it's for lounging."

She looked up at him and smiled, the sunlight making her eyes a light blue while she smiled up at him. "I was waiting for you." She said, noting the glasses of iced tea. "Sit behind me." She insisted, patting the chair with her hand, he handed her one of the glasses and moved around her, setting the tray on the table beside the chair, he straddled the chair and sat down solidly, leaning back on the back of the chair, he was just settling in with his feet on either side of Brennan, when she pushed herself back in the chair, settling against him with her iced tea in her hand.

Booth had to take a deep breath, surprised by her sudden need for closeness, he just took her movements in stride, but when she leaned against his chest with her back and that sweet scent from her still damp hair wafted into his nostrils, he nearly lost it. She sipped the tea and looked up at him, noticing the almost lustful look in his eyes. She had second guessed herself in the house, her bold move of grabbing him around the waist, but she could see that he was making an extra effort not to make her too skittish now, and that was only confirmed when she felt his arm snake around her body, holding her securely against him. "Mmm… that's good." She whispered, feeling his body tense slightly, she smiled slyly as she looked up into his eyes again. "Good iced tea…" She said with a tiny giggle. He nodded at her and smiled, trying her hardest not to be affected by every single touch.


	16. Bite to Survive

**Chapter 16- Bite to Survive**

The clouds were moving in quickly, but they didn't notice or care as they rested against one another on the lounge chair. Bones looked up at the sky and watched the clouds moving quickly overhead, she tipped her head to the side to see that Booth's head was tipped back, his eyes closed. She watched his breathing for a moment and could tell that he had fallen asleep. Instead of disturbing him, she leaned to her side and placed her empty glass onto the tray, and turned slightly in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes. She felt his hand move slightly, and smiled to herself when he lifted his hand and ran it slowly down her arm, settling back in his own hand as he held her securely in his arms. She felt him lean forward and drop a kiss in her hair.

"I thought you were sleeping." She whispered.

"I was."

"I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"It's fine, I am a light sleeper." He whispered.

"Is it because of your military training?"

"Probably… or because I have to keep up with my super smart partner who works all hours of the day or night and could call at any moment." He mumbled softly, listening to her light laugh. "Good thing you're here with me though, right? No murders, no bodies, no stinky garbage smell… just you, me, the outdoors…"

"The occasional mosquito."

"Yes…" He chuckled. "The occasional mosquito. Have you gotten bitten?"

"Once or twice…" She said, scratching a small red bump on her arm, she looked up into his eyes and smiled, raising her arm to show him.

"Stupid bugs…" he said, rubbing his thumb over her arm carefully, he was not oblivious to the warmth of her body against him, and she watched him with an amused smirk as he carefully ran his finger over the tiny red bump, the most serious expression on his face.

"I think I'll live, Booth…"

"I know, but it's not nice of them…"

"They bite to survive, Booth. Just like you eat beef, they…"

"Wait, wait… are you comparing yourself to a cow?" He asked, chuckling when her jaw dropped in surprise.

"I didn't… I didn't say that, what I said was… You're frustrating." She said, turning around, she sank further down in the chair, taking his hand with hers, she played with his fingers for a few moments.

"You need to learn how to take teasing, Bones." He whispered. "You've been my partner for years, and still you get all flustered with me when I pick on you."

"Well, perhaps you shouldn't pick on me." She whispered.

"It's just so damn easy." He teased, giving her a light squeeze, she laughed, jumping slightly.

"What was that?"

"Rain drop." She whispered, looking up at the sky.

"There wasn't a rain drop, you're making that up." He said, feeling a drop on his arm, he ignored it as he continued to tease.

"No, no… I felt it, it was most definitely a rain drop, Booth. We should get inside before it starts to rain."

"It's not going to rain…" He said, glancing up at the dark clouds above them, he smiled at her as she turned and looked at him. She smiled at the grin on his face, and there was the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance.

"Booth… that was thunder." She said, her eyes directly on his as he closed them and tipped his head back.

"Stop being such a baby, Bones… you're not going to melt…" He teased.

"I'm going inside…" She said, moving forward slightly, she found herself in his grip as a couple more raindrops fell on their skin, he felt her wiggling beneath his hold. "Booth… let go…" She said, giggling slightly as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against her neck. "Booth…" She squeaked.

"Shh…" He whispered, kissing her neck again and again, she tried weakly to extract herself from his arms.

"Booth!" She said as she pushed herself, just as Booth let go, sending her launching off the chair, she caught herself several feet from the chair and turned around to face him, a faux scowl on her face as she watched him grin at her with raised eyebrows.

"What?"

"You're just going to sit out here in the rain?"

"If I want to…" He said, reaching onto the handles, he set the lounge chair back, so that he was laying more on his back, his eyes closed as he sighed. "You can go in if you want to." He said, lifting his feet up onto the chair, he stretched his body out and sighed.

She watched him laying there with his arms settled behind his head, raindrops falling onto his skin and t-shirt, his feet bare and sticking off the end of the chair, and thought for a moment about retreating back into the cabin.

He lay there with his eyes closed, wondering exactly what she was thinking, where she was standing, or if she had already disappeared into the house. He was just about to open his eyes when he felt the weight of her body pressing on top of his, and his eyes flew open in surprise. "Bones…"

"Hey…" She said, her nose just inches from his as she rested her body against his, his arms instinctively wrapping around her.

"I thought you were going into the house." He said with a charming smile at made her heart thump hard in her chest.

"I was going to… but then, I realized that you'd get all wet here, lying on the chair, so I thought I'd help you keep dry." She said, pressing her lips to his, she loved the way his arms felt around her, the way he held her in his grasp just tight enough to keep her save, but tightly enough to feel the strength of his arms.

"Always thinking, Bones." He whispered, leaning up lightly for a kiss of his own, he groaned when her hands lifted to run through his hair, pulling his lips harder into hers. "Always thinking." He whispered against her lips as she lifted her lips from his for a moment and gave him a shy smile.

"And you're always talking… so be quiet and let me kiss you." She said as he grinned from beneath her.

"Whatever you say, Bones." He said as she giggled against his mouth, moaning softly as she felt his hands move across her back, her hands still on his head as they moved together rhythmically, their lips never parting for more than a split second. She kissed him feverishly, the heat between them was growing and the steady raindrops around them were becoming more and more unnoticed as they increased their patter on the couple lying together on the deck, hands roaming into dangerous territories, uncharted territories, and suddenly, without warning, it was if the sky opened up, and the rain began pouring heavily down on the two of them.

Brennan made no move to climb from the warm body that was dry beneath her, so she continued to kiss him, running her fingertips along his jawline, and down, tucking them up into his shirt to feel the warmth of his skin.

"Bones…" he gasped from beneath her assault, the rain slapping him in the face as he felt her move down and pull his shirt up, he nearly shouted as he felt her lips on his belly. "Bones! Stop!" He exclaimed, the rain pelting their skin felt cold against their increasingly warm bodies. "Bones…"

"I'm busy…" She whispered, dropping kisses up from his navel to his chest, her hands pulling at the shirt that had been covering his body just moments before.

"Bones…" He growled, his hands now on her head as he guided her face up to his, her t-shirt now wet from the raindrops that had landed on his skin, he could see the black lacy bra much more obviously, and his breath caught in his throat. "Oh, God… Bones…" he whispered as she once again assaulted his mouth with her lips, the thunder began to roar around them, the lightning flashing with sudden ferocity as she ground her hips into him, tasting the rain mixing with the taste of him, and feeling the water dripping down their faces as the thunder rumbled again.

"You know what I like about this?" She whispered against his mouth, the grunt of 'finish your thought, Bones' in his throat as she giggled. "Your gun isn't jabbing me in my side." As soon as the words came out, he faltered, his eyes widening as his head moved away from hers and he started to laugh. "What?" She asked, acting innocent though she knew exactly what she had done to him. "Booth, what are you laughing about."

"Stop…" He laughed harder. "Bones, stop for a second…" He exclaimed, unable to keep control of his laughter, he looked into her eyes and could see the laughter in her eyes as well. "What the hell are you trying to do to me?"

"I am teasing you, Booth." She said, the storm pounding around them as she laughed at a raindrop that landed on his forehead, she reached up and touched his face, running her wet hand down it as he grinned up at her.

"You were teasing me…" he said, looking up at the rain falling on his face, he shook his head and laughed.

"I have a very steep learning curve." She said, dropping a kiss on his lips tenderly.

"That you do, Bones…" He growled, attacking her neck with his lips, she let out a screech of surprise as they continued to enjoy the rainstorm in their own way.


	17. Irrational Toast

They laughed and kissed freely, their laughter floating on the wind and rain that was pounding onto them from above, the lightning flashing around them as the thunder cracked and grumbled around them, trying to bring attention to the storm that the two of them had no desire in acknowledging. They finally settled on the lounge chair, each on their side, facing one another with the rain pounding down on them, their eyes wide with happiness, a smile adorning each of their faces. "We should probably get inside now, Bones." He said, leaning forward to kiss her nose, he spoke loudly so that she could hear him over the pounding rain.

"Why?" She asked loudly.

"We're going to catch pneumonia." He said, kissing her nose again.

"There is no link between pneumonia and being caught out in a rainstorm, Booth. Pneumonia is a respiratory infection, Booth! It…"

"Well, I'm cold… is that a good enough reason?" He asked loudly, a laugh in his voice as she nodded.

"Fair enough." She said, standing up, she held her hand out for him, and he grabbed hold of it as he stood up. She then turned and ran for the glass doors, with Booth right behind her, they pushed their way into the cabin, and Booth reached behind him and closed the glass door, muffling the sound of the pouring rain. He turned around and immediately noticed that his partner was standing in a pool of water, shivering, trying not to let her teeth chatter.

"Oh God, Bones… you're freezing to death." He said as he jogged across the stone floor, water dripping as he ran, he opened a cupboard and pulled out a towel, and ran back over to her with it outstretched.

She reached her hand out for the towel and he ignored it, wrapping it around her, he pulled it tightly and rubbed her shoulders and arms through the towel. "See, see… it was a very bad idea to be out in the rain like that." He said, watching her give in and let her teeth chatter, she looked at him with big blue eyes as he wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close to him.

"You're not making it any better…" She chattered softly. "You're wet too…." She said as he took a step back and smiled at her, he leaned down and kissed her nose.

"Let's get that fire going, huh?" He said, listening to the thunder rumbling outside. "That storm could stick around for a while." He smiled as he walked over to the fireplace and turned on the gas, and with a quick click of the remote control, there was a nice fire going. "I love gas fire places." He said with a smile, turning around to see his partner standing where he left her, shivering into the towel. "Bones…" He said, rushing over to her, he pulled her closer to the fire, rubbing her arms as he watched her stand awkwardly in front of it, staring into the flames as she shivered in the towel. "Stay right there…" He said, watching her eyes flash to him for a second, and then back to the fire, he was starting to get nervous because she still hadn't said anything to him.

He walked over to his bag and grabbed out another sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants from the bag, tossing it over the chair beside him, before walking over to the cupboard and pulling another towel out. He grabbed the clothes and walked over toward her, and he tossed the clothes on the chair beside the fireplace before approaching her with the dry towel. "Here… give me that one…" He said, taking the soaked towel from around her, he handed her the dry one, and watched as she dried her face and hands with it. "Go on into the bathroom right there… here are some warm clothes…" He said, handing her the sweatshirt and sweatpants, she tipped her head to the side and watched him curiously.

"What are you going to wear?" She whispered.

"I have plenty of other clothes Bones… Go take these off, and we can hang them by the fire to dry… I'll go upstairs and change, its okay." He said, watching the hesitation in her eyes. "It's okay, Bones." He said again, watching her nod and walk toward the bathroom, glancing back at him one more time before disappearing around the corner.

-----------

When she emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, she was surprised to find that blankets had been spread out on the floor by the fireplace, and Booth was nowhere in sight. She was almost literally swimming in his sweatpants and sweatshirt, but she felt much warmer in them, and his scent enveloped her completely. She sat down on the blankets before the fireplace, staring into the flames, she heard glasses clinking in the kitchen and smiled to herself as she waited patiently, her eyes catching his form walking around the corner, she pretended she didn't see him.

He stopped as soon as he stepped around the corner, his hands filled with two wine glasses and the bottle of wine that he had bought earlier at the grocery store. The sight before him was one that made him warm all over, despite changing into dry clothes. She was settled in front of the fire, her bare feet wiggling at the flames as she sit drowning in his shirt and pants, looking much warmer than she had before she had gone into the bathroom. Her cheeks were a rosy red color, her lips no longer turning blue from the move from rain to air conditioned cabin, and she had a hint of a smile on her face as he walked closer to her. "Hey." He said, his voice was low and tender, as he folded his legs beneath him as he settled next to her on the floor. "Warmer?"

"Very much." She nodded. "Thank you."

He smiled at her with a sweet sideways turn of her head, and he handed her one of the glasses. Her eyes widened slightly at the gesture, and she lifted the glass from his hand, watching the sincerity in his eyes. "Are you?"

"Much warmer." He said, the charming smile making an appearance for a split second before he poured a bit of wine into her glass, and into his own, setting the bottle aside. He watched her for a moment as she tilted her head at him. "A toast?" He whispered.

"Of course."

"To… rain… relaxation… and…"

"And the thoughts of never going back to work again." She said with a bright grin, his eyes widening in shock.

"Bones… you did not just…"

"I did…" She nodded.

"Good." He laughed. "And the thoughts of never going back to work again…" He said in a playful tone, lifting his glass to hers.

"No matter how irrational that sounds…" She slipped in, just as their glasses clinked together, she let out a soft, sweet laugh that melted his heart and he watched her bring the glass to her lip, sipping from his own glass, he kept his eyes on hers the entire time, and reached his arm out to hold her, settling her against his body solidly, they watched the fire roar before them, and just enjoyed one another's company for a change.


	18. Burden of Proof

The wine warmed them from the inside out, and the slight dizzy feeling that it gave them was only heightened by the closeness of their bodies. They sat beside one another, his arm around her waist, her head resting on his shoulder as she stared into the flickering flames before them. "Do we have to go home tomorrow?" She whispered.

"No." He shrugged, turning his head, he kissed the top of her head and breathed in her sweet scent. "But we probably should."

"And what do we do when we get there?"

He chuckled at her innocent question, the second kiss on her head was met with the turn of her head. "We just be us, Bones."

"How?" She whispered.

"Well, You live in your apartment, and I live in mine… and we work together as partners… and then, at night… we'll see whose place we're closer to, and we'll go there, and order take out… and then we just let nature take its course."

"You mean intercourse." She said, turning her head to face him, her eyes innocent and serious, she could see the smile in his eyes. "Right?"

"If that's what happens, then that's what happens, Bones." He said, running his hand up and down her arm softly.

"Is that what is going to happen tonight?" She whispered, feeling his hand stop its gentle rubbing on her arm. He leaned to his side, and lifted the wine bottle, noting that there was just enough for another glass.

"More wine?" He asked, ignoring her question for the moment, he watched her eyebrow raise in acknowledgement of what he had done, and she simply nodded and allowed him to pour the wine into the glass.

"Booth?" She whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you, for all of this." Her voice whispered. "It really is perfect."

"Not quite." He said, standing up slowly, he could feel the lightheadedness from the wine, it was slight but noticeable. She watched him as he walked around the corner and opened up a small cupboard, peeking out from behind it, he smiled over at her, and she gave him a confused look and he turned back to what he was doing. After a moment, there was a soft stream of music floating through the cabin, filling every corner with a beautiful piano piece. He poked his head from around the door again, and watched her give him a sly smile and his grin brightened. "Now it's perfect." He said, closing the cupboard door, he practically skipped back over to the blankets, where he crashed down beside her, and leaned on his side, supporting his head with his hand, he rolled onto his back and looked up at her. "Bones?" He said as she looked down on him and tipped her head curiously. "What is your favorite bone?" He asked, watching her eyes widen with surprise, and that surprise quickly disappeared as she realized he was being completely honest.

"My favorite bone?"

"Yeah… your favorite bone… which is your favorite?"

"I don't… think I've ever thought about it." She said, averting her gaze quickly, she stared into the fire.

"Ha, you have thought about it, you just don't want to tell me." He exclaimed, sitting up quickly, she watched him come into view, his brown eyes sparkling with mischief. "Come on, Bones… tell me."

She watched his eyes dance over her features for a moment, that smile never leaving his face. She reveled for a moment in the pure relaxation of the moment, and how perfectly content he was leaning on the floor in front of her, waiting patiently for the answer to his question. His eyes never left her, and she could feel the blush moving up her cheeks. "Booth…" She said, her voice was light and fluffy, almost a giggle as she watched his head tip, and his grin become even brighter.

"Is it the scapuloid?"

"That's not… that's not right, it's scapula…you know that." She said, setting her wine glass beside the blanket, she reached out and touched his shoulder blade. "Scapula…" She said, running her fingers against his back. "It's not my favorite…" She shrugged, "Though you have very… very nice shoulders."

"Thanks, Bones." He smiled, pulling her arm slightly so she'd land on him. "What about the... arm bone?"

"Which one?" She asked, tipping her head curiously, laying all of her weight on his chest, she smiled down at him.

"This arm…" He said, grabbing her arm, he placed her hand on his cheek as he held it to him, feeling the soft skin of her hand running over the light stubble on his cheek.

"Well, there's the… radius and ulna… which are the this part of the arm… and the humerus, which is…"

"Funny." He laughed.

"No." She said, giving him a confused glance that he rolled his eyes at before she realized he was joking. "Oh… oh, you think you're hilarious, don't you?" She said as she buried her head into his neck, and nibbled on his jaw bone just a little bit, hearing him sigh beneath her, she sat up a bit and looked into his eyes. "That's your mandible."

"I knew that one." He said, the look on his face so serious, a smile made his eyes sparkle and she looked away almost shyly as she set her head on his chest. "You still have yet to answer my question."

"Mmm…" She sighed, listening to his heart beat beneath her ear. "Your heart rate is a little quick today." She whispered.

"Well, unless you failed to notice with your super squinty skills, there is a beautiful woman lying on top of me teasing me." He said, listening to her giggle.

"You tease me."

"It's different."

"Double standard?" She asked, lifting her head up, giving him a slight glare.

"Of course." He said with that cocky grin.

"Not acceptable." She replied, trying to roll off her partner, she was suddenly gripped by his arms, and she laughed as she tried to roll off him, sending them tumbling onto their sides, he pulled her to him and she allowed him to, nestling into his body as she felt the warmth of the alcohol pumping through her veins. She then lifted her head and looked him directly in the eyes. "For most people… I'd say that my three favorite bones… in order… are the Malleus, the Incus, and the Stapes." She said, watching the humored look in his eyes. "Those are the three tiny bones in the ear." She said with a wicked grin, leaning forward she said in a low husky voice, directly into his ear. "They vibrate with the introduction of sound… like… the sound of a lover's voice." Her voice was so delicate and soft that she felt him tremble beneath her, and she pulled back for a moment to see the serious look on his face. "Are you cold? I felt you shiver."

"I'm very far from cold, Bones." He whispered. "You said, with most people…" He whispered, catching that qualifier in her earlier sentence. "What about me?"

"Well…" She said, dropping her eyes to his chest. "I would have to say… that if I were to pick one bone in your body… that was my favorite." She whispered, her hand moving lower, she was fairly sure he had noticed, and his eyes were becoming wider as she neared the hem of his shirt. She could feel his breathing quicken when her hand landed on his hip, and began to trace slowly toward his groin. "Mm…" She said, lifting her eyes as if she were thinking, she lifted her fingers to the waist band of his sweatpants and flicked at the elastic band, her eyes dropping to his as a wicked grin rose on her face. She could see the passion in his eyes, the want, the need. She could see that he was letting her have control, and she liked that a lot. "My favorite…" She mumbled as her hand lifted slowly up his abdomen, she felt his breath hitch as she tickled his skin, the smile on her face grew wider as she watched his pupils dilate before her very eyes.

Her hands roamed his skin, her fingertips dancing delicately over his bare skin as she let her palm come to rest between his nipples on his chest, his heart beating wildly beneath her hand. "I'd have to say that… it's your sternum." She whispered.

"Yeah?" He whispered, a sound that nearly came out as a whimper.

"Mmm… yeah… definitely the sternum." She said, feeling his breathing become slightly erratic, his heart beating ever so wildly in his chest. She moved up, her hand still on his skin as she rested her head on his chest, her hand moving to his pectoral muscle as she breathe deeply.

"Why?" He whispered.

"Because it protects your heart." She whispered. "It protects what you claim makes you who you are."

"So then I should like your brain box, huh?"

"Skull, Booth." She said, looking up at him with a humored look, she felt his chest jump as he let out a laugh.

"Hey, I'm not an idiot." He said, moving his hand up quickly, he slipped it beneath the hem of the sweatshirt she was wearing, his hand suddenly on her skin, she giggled. "What are you laughing at?"

"I was just thinking about that falcon this morning." She giggled.

"You mean that man eating bird that almost killed us when we were making out?" He asked, listening to the cascade of giggles that were released from his partner's chest. "That thing was huge!"

"I will have to write that down… Booth is afraid of birds…"

"I am not afraid of birds! I'm afraid of dinosaurs though… that thing had to be at least as big as a Pterodactyl!" he said, running slow circles on her back, she continued to giggle into his chest.

"Hardly… " She laughed. "You're ridiculous, you know that?" She asked, looking up into his eyes she could see that the passion within them had not diminished with their jokes, but had only succeeded in becoming more filled with heat and want than just moments before. "Booth?" She whispered, watching a sideways grin rise on his lips, she swallowed hard. "There's still one more law of motion…" She said with a sideways grin of her own.

"Oh… there is, is there?" He whispered. "And what law would that be?"

"For every… action… there is an equal and opposite reaction." She said, raising her eyebrows expectantly at her partner. She watched his brow furrow slightly. "You don't know what…"

"Wait…" He said, putting his finger on her lips quickly as he gave her a quizzical look. "I don't know what that means." He said, watching her jaw drop and her hand pulled from beneath his shirt.

"Seeley Booth! That was not nice!" She exclaimed, sending her hand smacking down on his chest, she squirmed to get away from him. "Let me go!"

He started to laugh at her reaction, and held tightly to her body, his hand still resting on her back as she wiggled. "Not so fast there, Boots!" He exclaimed.

"Let go of me right now, Booth!" She exclaimed, squealing in laughter as he began to tickle her skin and hold her tightly to him. "I swear, Booth, if you don't let me go!" She screeched as he rolled to the side and nearly landed on her, supporting himself with his knees, his hands moved up quickly and held her arms down, pinning her to the floor beneath him, a wicked grin on his face. "Let go of me." She grunted.

"No."

"Now." She pouted.

"I don't think so." He whispered, leaning down to kiss her tenderly.

She twisted her head away from him. "I don't want a kiss."

"Then what do you want?" He whispered in her ear, his teeth moving out to nibble at her earlobe slightly, making her squirm beneath him.

She turned her head and he lifted his to look her in the eyes. "I want you." She paused, swallowing hard before she continued. "I want you to prove all of my laws, all of my rules, all of my theories… wrong." She whispered.

"Bones…" He whispered.

"I want you… to… prove to me that monogamy, is what I want… that you can be enough for me, intellectually, physically, emotionally… spiritually." She watched him try not to smile.

"You don't believe in God." He whispered.

"Maybe not now…" She shrugged beneath his hold, "But I bet you can't get me to scream out his name." She said in an obvious dare.

"Bones…" He whispered.

"Prove it to me."

"Bones…" He shook his head, watching her eyes narrow slightly, the blue of her eyes nearly completely replaced by the dark pupils staring back at him, and that thin blue band was just begging him to make good on her dare.

"Are you afraid?"

"Bones…"

"You're saying my name an awful lot." She whispered, her smile lighting her eyes a little and with that, he smiled.

"Temperance." He whispered, and that was the last thing she heard before his mouth dropped onto hers, and he proceeded to do exactly as she had dared.


	19. Just Breathe

Though it started fast and frenzied, the kissing, the touching, the rubbing, moaning and grabbing. It started fast and frenzied by both. Mouths exploring mouths, lips touching flesh that there had only been glimpses of, or fantasies about, fingers caressing the warmth of the others body and hands tenderly moving across the fire warmed skin that was quickly being revealed with each passing second. Yes, at first it was uncontrolled and pushing, gasping, tugging, but it wasn't long before both paused and pulled apart for a moment, simply to look into the eyes of the other.

There was a conversation between the two of them, a conversation that no one but their minds could hear as the dark endless soul of this man, and the carefully guarded heart of this woman dared to collide. No words were spoken, there were no words to say, yet when they looked into the other's eyes they could hear nothing but the memories of years together, and how it was almost as if they had always been this close, they had always been together, that this experience was going to be the logical next step in their relationship.

She showed absolutely no fear in her eyes, something that he could honestly say that he was extremely grateful for. The last thing that he wanted to do was to hurt her, physically, emotionally or any other way. The last thing he wanted to do was to force her to think that he expected any more from her. She lay beneath him, a halo of hair surrounding her head, dried by the light of the fire as the light from said fire flickered across her face, giving her soft, white skin a warm glow, her cheeks a delicate pink hue, and her eyes, those eyes that he had stared into a million times, he dare say held something that he had never before seen from his partner. Was it love? Lust? Was it want, need? He wasn't sure, but he could tell as her lips slowly turned up into that beautiful smile he had been waiting for, that she was more than ready to show him.

She watched patiently as he studied her face, the silent, screaming words that passed through those dark passages to his soul looking down on her. He had a smile on his lips that told of a secret that he had, a secret that he was keeping and was not willing to reveal to anyone, except possibly to her. She noticed that his eyes flicked from one of her eyes to the other, and to her lips and back again as he communicated with just that moment the need that he was feeling. There was challenge in those eyes, fun, and mischief. There was heart and soul, and tenderness that was staring back at her as she felt his hands on her, his thumbs gently strumming at her skin as this pause conveyed the patience and control he was demonstrating for the benefit of simply reassuring her.

"Bones?" He whispered, the word from his lips was a whisper, deep and low and his eyes took on a bit of a glassy look to them as he seemingly held back his emotion. Her head tilted as she listened. "I…"

"I…" She started to say, and his finger lifted to touch her lips and he gave her a look that told her that he needed to finish, and she found the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes so endearing, she wished he'd let her speak.

"I love you." He whispered, his finger still placed on her lips, and his mouth hung open as if there were more, he could see in her eyes she wanted to say something and for all of the confidence he had, he wasn't about to let her burst into a diatribe about love and what it means, only to ruin his moment. No, he was going to get this out, and the big mouthed forensic anthropologist that he would do anything for, she'd get her opportunity to speak, but not yet. "I am in love with you." He whispered. "You probably think… what's the difference?" He shrugged. "The difference, is that loving someone is about forever… being in love… that's about the moments. We have spent a lot of moments, a lot of moments together… some of them as simple as sharing a meal, or I don't know, Bones… just… sometimes doing paperwork can be fun, because you're there, and you care, and you talk to me. I love you, and I am in love with you… and I hope that you want to spend the rest of our moments together." He whispered. He could see the tears welling in her eyes, and his heart leapt in guilt, his thumb moving to her cheek as he rubbed the tear out against her skin. "Oh, Bones… I'm sorry." He whispered, leaning down to kiss the tear from her cheek, she lifted her head and placed a tender kiss on his lips.

This time, things went slower, the kiss was slower, the hands moved ever so much slower over skin, and the moans were more defined and less urgent. There was absolutely nothing rushed as everything moved in a perfect synchronization. Her shirt moved up and off her body as he reached out and grabbed at the blankets, lifting them up, he rolled them both, loosely cocooning them within them, she let out a playful giggle and he laughed at the now lightness in her eyes. He wasn't looking for an answer to his confession, just acceptance, and that's exactly what she had given him. They kicked and wiggled out of the rest of the clothing, until there was no barrier between the warmth of skin and limbs as they shared a moment of silence together, their bodies now bare and ready, and their hearts now beating against each other's body. His head was nestled in her neck, and her lips were tenderly kissing his shoulder as her fingernails gently raked over his back.

When finally joined, there was a sweet release and understanding that passed between them, and a tenderness that surpassed all other tenderness that the other had felt. They moved together with such synchronicity that it was as if they had melded together into a perfect machine, their movements delicate and tender, and the gentle moans that escaped their lips were so full of ecstasy that it was no wonder that they were blushing as they made love. There was a moment as they cascaded toward the peak of desire that both opened their eyes at the same time, and the breath was sucked from their lungs in a moment of surprise, and their hearts beat in rhythm as they tumbled into oblivion together, grasping one another tightly as they released the pressure of being apart for far too long, her whispers of love didn't come as a surprise to him, nor did he bring attention to them as they curled together in the blankets that surrounded them. He only kissed her head and held her as she held him back, and together they slipped into a peaceful rest that both had earned.


	20. Watch Me

A low rumble was what finally roused them from their peaceful slumber, and perhaps for a moment, Booth thought it was thunder, but after just a moment, he recognized that growl as being his stomach. He felt the body that was wrapped in his arms move a little, and thought that perhaps she was awake, though the hold he had on her was secure and warm, he knew that if she wanted to be released, she'd do it herself. It was at that point, that he could feel her eyes on him. It wasn't as if she were staring to wake him up, or waiting anxiously to announce that they had made a huge mistake. He could feel her drinking him in with her eyes, he could feel her tender gaze warming his entire body, and when he finally gave in and opened his own eyes, he watched hers widen, sparkling in the early evening light that was sifting in through the windows where the rain clouds had dispersed.

"I'm hungry too." She whispered.

He smiled at her small voice, the way it sounded so vulnerable and soft, yet he knew the strength behind those eyes, behind that tender voice, and soft touch. "Who said I was hungry?" He whispered, his own eyes lighting up to hers, his eyebrows rising to challenge her statement.

"Oh, I heard some rumors." She whispered, flicking her finger across his bare belly, he let out a slight squeak as he jumped. She let out a throaty laugh and watched as his cheeks blushed slightly at his moment of weakness. "Are you hungry?" She whispered.

"Mmm…." He hummed, moving himself closer to her, he buried his face in her neck, sending shots of electricity through her body, and a wave of shivers across her flesh. "Hungry…"

"I mean for food." She giggled, squeaking when his teeth rubbed against her skin, she pushed him away. "Stop! Don't eat me!" She exclaimed as he giggled, pulling her closer to him, he nibbled at her skin as she pushed at him. "Booth! Stop!" She squeaked, as suddenly, he released his grip, sending her tumbling backwards and almost out from under the blankets. She grabbed onto them and laughed as she rolled back toward him.

"What? You don't have anything that I haven't already seen or kissed…"

"The curtains are open." She whispered.

"And what? You think that the little woodland creatures care that you and I…"

"Shh…" She said, pressing her finger to his lips, she reached up and grabbed the sweatshirt that he had been wearing.

"That one is mine…" He said against her finger, and she laughed as she rolled onto her back and pulled it onto her head, pushing her arms into the sleeves.

"Now it's mine." She whispered, rolling into him, she left a kiss on his lips as she dove under the blankets to find the rest of her clothes.

"Hey, watch it…" he said as she popped her head out from under the blanket with a big grin, her hair was messy and tangled, but her eyes were as bright as ever. "You're adorable when you're rested."

"Which would be true if you hadn't exhausted me before I needed to rest." She laughed as she climbed out from the blankets and headed toward the kitchen.

"So now you're abandoning me?" He asked, pulling on his boxers and his sweatpants, he pushed the blankets to the side and sat up.

"I'm not abandoning you." She said, poking her head out from the kitchen, she held up a glass. "Water?"

"Sure." He said, tipping forward to get a view of her flitting around the kitchen, she stretched up and grabbed two glasses, and then to the sink. When she turned around quickly, he was caught staring, and she stopped, head tilting, her eyes narrowing. "You look a lot like Parker sitting there like that." She said, taking a step forward.

"Well, he is my son, after all." He said, reaching up, he felt his hair sticking up and rubbed at it to attempt to tame it.

"Here." She said, moving forward, she folded her legs beneath her and sat across from him, handing him his glass of water. "You know, many times when the body thinks it's hungry, it's just dehydrated."

"I'm pretty sure that I'm hungry, Bones." He nodded as he sipped at the water.

"The rain stopped." She said, still not taking her eyes off of his for a moment, she sipped her water and smiled.

"It did stop…" He replied, a grin playing at his own lips. "Why don't I start dinner… and we can watch the sunset?"

"No." She said, reaching out to grab his hand, she watched the surprised look on his face. "I want to cook dinner."

"Bones, it's alright. I brought you here to relax, not to cook for me."

"I find cooking very relaxing." She said as she stood up again, reaching her hand out to her partner. "I want to cook. I insist." She said, helping him to his feet, he closed the gap and moved closer to her, leaning down to capture her lips with his own.

"You're not going to let me argue with you, are you?"

"No." She said, dropping another kiss on his lips. "Go clean up the blankets… and dry off the table out on the deck. I'll get dinner ready."

"You don't even know what I got ingredients for." He said, watching her look at him with widened eyes as he closed his mouth. "Sorry." He said, watching the smile creep onto her lips again. "I should know by now that you can find your way around a kitchen."

"Thank you." She said, she hopped on her toes, kissed him one more time, and took off toward the kitchen. He watched her for another moment, his eyes lovingly etching the memory of her body into his mind, as he turned and began to clean up the mess they had made with the blankets.

----------------

It took no longer than forty five minutes before Brennan found herself looking around the cabin for Booth. Dinner was nearly ready, and she wanted to make sure that everything was ready outside. When she stepped out onto the deck, she nearly gasped at the beautiful set up that he had ready for them. The table was set carefully with brightly colored plates, candles lit in the hanging tea lights off the deck, and in the center of the table a small vase with some wildflowers sticking out.

"So you like the set up?" His voice startled her from behind, and he stepped up to wrap his arms around her waist. "I didn't mean to make you jump." He whispered, tipping his head over her shoulder, she looked at him with a peaceful expression.

"You knew that it was going to make me jump." She whispered.

"I did…" He said into her neck, breathing in the smell of her soft skin, he could feel her skin reacting to his breath and kissed the nape of her neck. "Dinner ready?"

"Mmm…" She whispered, turning, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him into her. "Yes… and since you got to change when you were doing all of this extremely romantic and unnecessary things… Its my turn to change my clothes."

"I'll put dinner on the table."

"Good boy." She whispered tenderly, watching him grin cheekily after her as she turned and walked back into the cabin.

"You know, when we get back home… you can't say things like that when we're working!" He called.

"Watch me!" She exclaimed, the giggle in her voice only succeeding in sending a smile onto his lips as he rolled his eyes and made his way to the kitchen.


	21. Sunset

Booth had placed the pasta and sauce on the table in two containers, each covered to keep them warm. He waited patiently for his dinner partner to return, and stood at the railing of the porch waiting. He looked out onto the view that the cabin afforded, and took in the serene sound of nothing but nature that surrounded them. He was completely taken by the view, and almost hadn't noticed that she had walked out onto the deck, and she probably would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for the gentle breeze that brought the sweet scent of perfume wafting into his nostrils. He waited, knowing her next move exactly, and was quickly rewarded with her arms encircling him. He thought for a split second, that he should act surprised, but it made him smile knowing how irritated she'd be if she knew that he had sensed her coming.

"You didn't jump." She said with a pout.

"Nope." He said, squeezing her arms against him, she held her grip tightly.

"How did you know I was here?"

"I could feel that you were close." He said, tipping his head back to look at her, that eyebrow shooting up in defiance and skepticism.

"You couldn't feel me until I touched you."

"You're always touching me." He said, allowing that cocky grin of his to lift to his eyes, and her arms dropped to her side.

"You're hopeless." She said, turning toward the table, she noted that the chairs were on opposite sides of the round table. "I don't like this." She said, turning to see him watching her.

"What?"

"We… both aren't facing the sunset." She said, moving forward, she pushed the chairs closer together, positioning them so that the sunset was in both of their view, and she turned to see him watching, shaking his head. "What?"

"You're hopeless too." He said, reaching forward to move their plates to their places in front of the chairs, he pulled out one of the chairs and watched her give him that skeptical look once again. "For the love, Bones… just sit down…" He said, watching her lip curl into her own sideways grin, as she rolled her eyes and moved toward the chair, allowing him to push it in for her. Immediately, she grabbed the pot with the pasta in it, and he grabbed for the spoon that was on its spoon rest. "You cooked, I'll serve."

"I'm not…"

"No, remember… you're hopeless." He winked.

"Now you're ridiculous." She said as he carefully filled her plate with pasta, and a scoop of vegetables that she had prepared, and proceeded to fill his own plate.

Once seated, they ate in silence, stealing glances at one another out of the corners of their eyes, and every once in a while, they'd capture the gaze of the other. The sun was setting before them, sending flickers of red, pink, orange and purple into the sky, the clouds from the earlier storm had scattered, and were now alight with the glow of the setting sun. Booth sat back in his chair and turned his head, his eyes no longer on the sunset.

"The show is over there." She pointed, feeling his eyes on her as she settled back in her chair as well.

"I beg to differ." He replied. "I prefer to watch the sunset in your eyes."

Her eyes rolled slightly as she turned her head to face him, her breath catching for a moment when she saw the look on his face. "Hey." She said, watching his eyes focus a little clearly.

"Hey." He replied.

"I… I'm a… never mind." She shook her head and turned her attention back to the sunset, he could see the uncertainty in her eyes, he knew she was holding back, but he also knew that he needed to get it out in the open.

"You're scared." He whispered.

"I'm not scared." She said, whipping her head to glare at him, the look in his eyes was one of friendliness, and not an indication that he was making light of the situation.

"It's alright, Bones."

"I'm not scared." She repeated, sighing. "I'm concerned." She swallowed. "I was going to say that I am a little concerned."

"That's fine."

There were a few moments of silence and her head turned slowly. "That's fine? That's all you're going to say? Aren't you concerned?"

"No." He shrugged, a ghost of a smile creeping up to his lips. "I figure you'll be concerned enough for the both of us." He said, allowing it to become a full smile, though toning it down a bit when he realized she wasn't smiling. "I just… I know you're going to be concerned, you're always concerned. You have… issues dealing with…"

"I do not have issues!" She exclaimed, sitting up straighter, she gave him a dirty look that made his heart clench in his chest. He knew that he needed to tread very lightly.

"Did you listen to what I was saying, Bones?"

"You said that…"

"I said you have issues dealing with emotions… and figuring out what they mean. It's not bad, it's not negative, you just think a lot more than I do. I know that what is happening between us is good, I like it… it feels right…"

"That is because you were the one pursuing, you were the one chasing…"

"As I recall, Boots…" He said, watching her glare at her new nickname. You were the one that put a wager on whether or not I could get you to scream the Lord's name in vain." His sarcastic smile made her eyes roll.

"Which you failed to do, might I add." She said, her eyebrows rose in faux disappointment.

"I think I liked what you said instead…" He whispered, noting that she was withdrawing slightly.

"You heard that?" She whispered.

"I did." He said, sitting up a little straighter in his chair, he stood up and grabbed their plates, and silverware, and a few other things. "Hopefully… you'll be able to say it when you know I'm listening…" He said, watching her eyes follow him toward the door. "Besides, Bones…" His smile returned as she gave him a challenging look. "You should never make bets with a degenerate gambler… especially when he's got all night long to prove you wrong…" He said, laughing as her jaw dropped, and he disappeared into the cabin to clean the dishes.


	22. Dishes

Brennan walked into the cabin after Booth, carrying the rest of the dishes with her as she set them on the counter beside him. He smiled over at her and continued washing the plates. "So what do we do now?"

"Geez Bones…" He teased with a playful grin. "It's just do, do, do with you, isn't it? Can't a guy just relax and do nothing?" He said, watching her jaw drop slightly as she shook her head.

"That is not fair." She said, pushing him softly as he laughed. "Here…" She said, hand me that dish towel over there." She said, leaning across him, she pressed her body against him, teasing him with a bump of her hip. She swung the towel and smacked him in the chest with it, laughing as he gave her a shocked expression. "You wash, and I will dry."

"That is a deal." He said, handing her the first plate, they conversed lightly as they washed the dishes, passing from one topic to the next, it was as if it were a nightly ritual for the two of them to do dishes. Everything together seemed so natural and right.

"I don't particularly like a dishwasher." She explained as she continued her job. "Despite my negative childhood experience with hand washing dishes, I think that the machine is a waste of energy that could be used on something else. Hand washing dishes is a good, bonding ritual." She said, watching him rinse off the other plate carefully, she kept her hands away from the sink as he poured soap into the water.

"Dishwashers are good if you have a large family, and not a lot of time to wash dishes every night." He said with a shrug, but you're right… I prefer washing dishes by hand also." He nodded, grabbing another dish towel, he swung around quickly and whipped her butt with the towel.

"Booth!"

"That way, I can keep my dishwashing partner in line." He said, watching her put the dish in her hand down.

"Oh yeah?" She asked, swinging her dish cloth, he grabbed for it before she could swing it back, wrapping it around his hand, he pulled her into him hard.

"Yes." He said, wrapping his arm around her as she kept a tight grip on the towel.

"You're mean." She said, her lower lip sticking out as she turned to face away from him.

"Aw, Bones, I was just kidding… did I hurt you?" He asked, letting go of the towel, he attempted to put his finger on her chin to turn her to face him, and she swung around and whipped him hard with the towel. "Ow!" She snapped the towel again as he jumped back. "Stop! Bones!" She snapped the towel again, her laughter at his exclamations making him laugh as he turned and ran out of the kitchen. "Bones!" She snapped the towel toward him and he turned, grabbing it, he pulled her into him hard as they ran around the couch, sending him tumbling backwards onto the couch, he pulled the towel, and she tumbled after him, landing against his chest, giggling. "You are pure evil." He said into her eyes as she grinned at him.

"You started it." She said, resting her head on his shoulder as she untwisted the towel from her hand.

"I think you bruised me." He said, rubbing his side.

"Aww… big man has a contusion?" She asked, grabbing his shirt, she pulled it up, noticing the red mark on his rib, she leaned down as if she were to give it a kiss.

"Be nice, Bones…" he warned, feeling her lips against his skin, she ran her fingers over his skin and kissed it gently, her tongue running over his skin. "Bones… be nice…" He groaned, his head tipping back as she kissed again, her lips landing on his navel, where she stopped. "What are you doing?" He asked, humored by her actions, he felt her intake of breath. "Bones, don't you dare!" He exclaimed as suddenly, she blew a raspberry on his belly, making a loud noise. "BONES!" He screamed as he kicked his feet into the couch, launching her into the air as he felt her falling off the couch.

"Booth!" She screeched in laughter as she tumbled onto the floor, rolling in laughter as she listened to call out to her again and again, she was laughing so hard, she could hardly breathe.

"Bones? Bones, are you okay?" He laughed as he rolled onto his side, watching her lost in laughter on the ground, he rolled off the couch onto the carpet with her, his mouth moving immediately to her neck.

"No!" She screeched, laughing. "Booth! Stop! I can't breathe! Stop!" She laughed as he continued to nibble on her neck. "God, Booth! Stop!" She screamed as suddenly he let go of her neck with his mouth and laughed a hearty laugh. "What!?" She exclaimed.

"You said it!" He exclaimed.

"NO!" She exclaimed, sitting up. "That did not count!" She exclaimed.

"It counted, it so counted!" He exclaimed, standing up, holding his arms up in celebration. "I won! I won!" He exclaimed as she slowly calmed down on the floor, looking up at him celebrating. He looked down at her on the floor, the scowl on her face was laugh worthy and she just shook her head. "What?" He laughed.

"You pretend you're not one of us… under that mask of alpha male bravado, under the guise of this… jock tough guy…"

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, reaching his hand down to help her up to her feet from the ground, he leaned down and kissed her lips solidly as she pushed against his chest lightly as if trying to maintain some distance. He knew she was going to say something to incite him, he could feel it.

"You're a dork… just like the rest of us!" She exclaimed as he shook his head and grinned.

"Oh, you are so going to get it now!" He exclaimed, grabbing for her.

"No!" She screeched, running away from him as fast as she could, he watched her run up the stairs and pointed at her as she walked along the railing looking down at him.

"Just you wait, bone lady… I'll get you… just when you least expect it, I'll get you…" He said, laughing as he pretended to grumble his way back into the kitchen to finish off the dishes.


	23. Truce or Dare

When the dishes were done, Booth stepped out of the kitchen holding a dish towel, drying his hands. He looked around the cabin, only to find his partner sitting on the couch with a book in her hands, relaxed and comfortable. She was so engrossed in the novel in her lap, that she didn't even look up when he approached her. Stepping up behind her, he put his hand on her shoulder, making her jump. "Hey, hey… watch it…" He said, watching her slam the book closed and try to shove it into the cushion of the couch. "What was that?"

"What was what? You're not going to attack me now for the 'dork' comment, are you? I think that it would completely unfair of you to do that since you were the one that threw me onto the floor in the first place." She said, her voice completely serious and void of all humor. He watched her eyes, however and could see that glint of mischief in them.

"Fine then… I call a truce." He said, holding his hand out to her as she eyed him carefully.

"A truce?"

"Yes… you shake my hand, and I will promise that I will not attack you for the dork comment…"

"What about any other comment I may or may not have made…"

"I promise, that I will not attack you…" He said, continuing to hold out his hand, she lifted hers slowly, and just as it was about to touch hers, he pulled it back. "If…"

"Wait, no… no qualifiers!"

"I will not attack you, if you show me what you were reading."

"I don't know if I can do that."

"Then I don't know if I can make a truce with someone who is untrustworthy and secretive." He said, touching on something he knew that she would most definitely want to prove otherwise.

"Wait!" She exclaimed, reaching back, she grabbed his arm. "I'll show you."

"Okay then… you show me yours, and I'll show you mine." He said, winking at her.

"I thought we did that earlier." She asked, a grin brightening up her face as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, funny, Bones… really funny."

"Funny Bones! Humerus!" She laughed, tipping her head back as she reiterated his joke from earlier, noticing that he wasn't laughing. "I thought that was a good one!"

"It was a good one… when 'I' made the joke…" He said, turning around, sticking his nose in the air, he started to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?" She sat up, watching him turn around and shrug.

"You're not playing nice… so I'm just going to keep my right to attack you."

"Fine… and I won't show you what I'm reading." She said, watching him stalk into the kitchen and around the corner. Her brow furrowed as she waited for him to show his face again, fairly sure that he was just teasing her. She swallowed nervously as she waited for him to show up again, and bit her lower lip as she waited. "Booth?" She said, her voice soft and searching, her confusion at the situation was obvious. She wasn't sure if he was teasing her or not, but he hadn't come around the corner just yet. "Booth… I'm sorry… here…" She said, pulling the book out from between the cushions, she waited, and he still hadn't shown his face. "Hey, come here…" She said, climbing off the couch, she walked toward the kitchen. "Booth?"

Just as she rounded the corner, he jumped out. "HA!" He exclaimed, grabbing the book in her hand when she gasped in surprise.

"Booth!" She exclaimed, grabbing for the book, but before she could get her hands on it, he started to laugh, flipping through it. "Come on!"

He held the book and turned around, laughing as he took a step back. "Looks like the judge is a fan of the adventures of Kathy and Andy!" He said, holding up Bones' last book, his smile so bright that she wanted to smack it off his lips.

"Give it back!"

"You were pretty engrossed, Bones… what were you reading?" He asked, flipping through the book. "Oh! I remember this one!" He said, chuckling as he flipped through the pages. He turned around as she grabbed for the book. He turned sharply and headed for the couch as she grabbed for it.

"Booth, I'm serious… give me the book!"

"Hey Kathy…" Booth read. "I have a great idea on how to pass the time on this stakeout… What is that? She said, biting her lip as she glanced out the window at the quiet street. 'Why don't we hop into the back… I'll show you… Andy said in that low, suave voice that made her body vibrate from head to toe, and her lips trembled in anticipation." He read as she chased him around the couch, the voice he used was sultry and low, mocking the characters of the book, he laughed as she stopped chasing him, crossing her arms over her chest. He stopped and slapped the book closed, he gave her an innocent smile. "What?"

"You are mean." She said, stepping forward, she climbed onto the couch and rested her head against the arm.

"I'm not mean." He said, tipping his head as he walked around the couch.

"You are… first you make me think you're mad at me, then, you jump out at me… then… you make fun of my writing! That is mean! Three very good examples of how you, Seeley Booth, are mean!"

"I was teasing!" He exclaimed, sitting next to her. "I was just teasing."

"Well, it's mean." She sighed.

"I'm sorry?" He said, the obvious up speak in his voice made him the victim of one of her patented glares that he so often could turn into a smile. He could tell though, that her smile was a long time in coming. "I'm sorry." He said, his voice deeper as he watched her pout, he leaned over and tried to get her to look at him again. "Bones?" He said again, waiting for her to put her attention on him. She glanced to him. "I'm sorry. I am."

She sighed as she sat up slightly, her eyes still on his, and tipped lightly, landing her head in his lap. His fingers went automatically to her hair, carefully raking through it, tucking the soft locks behind her ear, the scent wafting from below, tickling his senses, he leaned down and dropped a tender kiss on her temple. "You better be sorry…" She mumbled in a sweet pout.

"Oh yeah?" He whispered in her ear, watching her tremble from the warm breath tickling her ear.

"Mmmhmm…" She replied.

"Or else?"

"Right." She nodded, smiling as she rolled onto her back, looking up at him as he smiled down at her.

"You're still evil."

"And you're still mean."

"I love you."

"I find you pleasing as well." She said, rolling back onto her side, he rolled his eyes and growled, humored as she giggled to herself into his leg.


	24. One Thousand Seconds

Booth sat with Brennan resting in his lap, and they slipped into a soft silence that neither dared to interrupt for several moments. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling silently as he tenderly caressed her hair with his fingertips. "You're beautiful." He whispered, waiting for her eyes to move to his. She smiled, watching his eyes travel over her face peacefully.

"You've said that before." She whispered.

"It's because I think it's true."

"Tell me something that I don't know." She whispered.

"Like what?"

"Tell me something that you don't like about me."

"Mmm… when you're wrong." He said, raising his eyebrows when her mouth dropped in surprise.

"I am rarely wrong!" She exclaimed, trying to sit up, only to be pushed lightly back by his hand, his head leaning down to drop a kiss on her nose.

"That's right… and I hate when it happens." He said, the corner of his lip curling into a slight smile.

"Oh." She furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"Because you get this wrinkle in your forehead…" He said, running his thumb over her forehead lightly, his lips touching it tenderly. "Then your eyes kind of get this worried look in them, like you think you're going to get yelled at, or someone is going to punish you."

"No…" She interrupted. "I don't like to disappoint."

"You never disappoint, Bones."

"I seem to recall a particular FBI agent storming into my lab yesterday to exclaim very loudly that I had done something to warrant his disappointment. I disappoint rarely, but when I do, it's painful for me."

"I don't like when you feel that you have disappointed me… you know me, I rant… I'm not perfect. I am sure that with the number of times that I say something stupid on a case, that you've figured out that I'm not perfect."

"Perfect for me… I think…"

"Aw, Bones… You're just slumming it." He said, tipping his head back with a laugh, he looked back down on her and noticed she had a slightly irritated glint in her eye. "What?"

"I don't like when you insult yourself."

"Why? Because that's for you to do?" He asked, watching her mouth open and close slightly, as if she had a response but wasn't sure exactly how to say it. "I'm teasing again… you never mean to be insulting. You're not a mean person… but self deprecation is how I roll…"

"Its very negative." She said, her eyebrows rising as she watched him seriously. "If you want other people to take you seriously, you need to take yourself seriously. While you're a very affable person, I find that your humor can often exclude those of us who don't quite understand your sense of humor, or those of us who are unwittingly a target of your often sarcastic attitude."

"So you think I'm negative."

"You can be… sometimes." She said, watching his eyes on her.

"And you think it's because I have some deep-seated anger issues?"

"I hate psychology, Booth… you know that."

"But you do think I'm an angry person." She was quiet for several moments as if she were trying to choose the correct words in her mind, and she could tell that her silence was making him uneasy. "Bones?" He said, watching the avoidance in her eyes, he knew that she couldn't lie to him, but he also knew that he had put her in a bit of a situation here. "It's okay. You don't have to answer."

"I wouldn't say you're an angry person." She said, her eyes finally meeting his, the honesty within them was pure. "But I think you have a problem with displaying your anger… You don't show it until something is on the line… you kind of let it build up beneath the surface until something makes you snap a little."

"So you think I'm unhinged."

"I'm not sure I know what that means." She said curiously, the agitation in his eyes softening as he gazed down at his partner.

"Do you think I'm unpredictable?"

"In good ways… not negative ways." She replied. "You're a good type of unpredictable… And though, sometimes I say things that do make you angry, I'm not surprised by your reactions… after I think about what made you act that way."

"For example?"

"Yesterday, you were mad at me because I had given you the wrong report. The report that I had given you was sloppy and half done, and not at all related to that case. You were angry, I was confused, until I had a chance to look over the report. I found my mistake and I fixed it immediately. I found the cause of your anger, and I was able to fix it. Your anger was in no way unfounded, and though you chose to show your anger in an inappropriate manner, you were able to harness it before it became out of hand."

"Thanks, Bones." He said, with a resigned sigh.

"I'm nervous." She whispered, her eyes moving from his as she avoided eye contact again.

"About what?"

"About how weird it's going to be."

"How weird what is going to be? Work?"

"Yeah."

"We'll take it one step at a time, Bones."

"I think we took it six hundred steps in the past twenty four hours, Booth. What if we get back, and you decide that we can't do this, and be partners?"

"Well…" He said, watching that line appear on her forehead once again. "It's not my decision… it's our decision… and we'll talk about it, like we're talking about it now, and we'll consider the pros, consider the cons… you know, talk like adults instead of letting our fears control us."

"And what happens when I flake out?" She asked sincerely.

"You're not going to flake out." He laughed.

"I may flake out… you don't know…" She sighed.

"Do you even know what that means?"

"I'm sure it's just another term for the fight or flight response… it's just a guess, but I've heard Angela tell me not to do it." She said, rolling onto her side, she felt his fingers in her hair. She closed her eyes as she rested for a few minutes.

"So you're not going to run?"

"There's nothing to run from… and I'm slightly offended that you'd suggest that I would." She turned her head and looked up at him.

"Hey, you were voicing your fears. I get fears of my own."

"So my fear is that things are going to be weird, and your fear is that I'm going to make things weird…"

"You made the trip to the cabin weird."

"I did not." She said, sitting up, she glared at him.

"You did so." He replied, insistent upon his feeling. "You were snitty and angry at the diner, you threw my menu on the floor. You were acting childish."

"I was not acting childish." She said, glaring at him as she pushed her back to the far end of the couch.

"Yeah, Bones… kind of like that." He said, nodding toward her.

She sighed and glared at him for several moments. "I'm going upstairs." She said, starting to stand up.

"Bones?"

"Just let me have some time to myself, please." She said, sighing loudly, she turned and walked toward the stairs, climbing them quickly, she disappeared into one of the bedrooms without a second look, or another word.

Booth sighed and rolled his eyes, tipping his head back, he looked up at the railing, and the door behind it where she had slipped into. He closed his eyes and began the steady count to one thousand in his head, because she had just that amount of time to pout, before he went upstairs after her.


	25. Hands On

His feet padded slowly up the stairs as he crept up toward the bedroom where Bones had been hiding. He had counted to about five hundred before he decided that she had done enough pouting, and that one thousand seconds was a punishment for him, and he didn't want to subject himself to a punishment, he wanted the warmth of his partner beside him.

He put his hand on the doorknob and opened the door slowly, knowing that the room was going to be dark.

"I said I wanted to be alone."

"No." He replied, walking into the room, he closed the door behind him.

"Booth." She grumbled. He could hear her roll over on the bed, and a deep sigh.

"Stop being a big baby." He replied, flopping down on the bed beside her, he could see the silhouette of her body bounce a little from the remains of the sunset out the window.

"I wanted to be alone."

"You're not going to get that. I didn't bring you here so that you could be alone. I brought you here to be with you."

"You can't force me to talk to you."

"I don't have to force you. You're a very good conversationalist, even when you tell me you're not going to talk to me anymore." He replied, watching her lift the pillow up, covering her head. "I also know…" He whispered as he leaned closer to her, he put his hand on her hip and waited for her to pull her hand from the pillow. Just when she did, in order to brush his hand away, he grabbed the pillow from her head.

"Hey, stop it!" She exclaimed, rolling onto her back, she glared at him in the darkness, but she could tell just by the way he was sitting there that he was grinning at her. "And wipe that grin off your face before I do it for you." She said, her growl had just a tinge of something that he was trying to discern, one of the many talents that he had obtained from observing people. He could sense her lack of seriousness, and he also knew that it was because he was right.

"Bones?" He whispered, leaning close to her, he took a deep breath. "You smell nice."

"Cut it out…" She grumbled, pushing weakly against him.

"Stubborn, stubborn, Bones." He mumbled, burying his face into her neck, he felt her hands stop pushing against him, and a light moan escape her lips. "That's right…" He whispered.

"You're not winning this argument." She whispered.

"You're not arguing." He whispered back.

"Shh…" She said, closing her eyes as his lips rediscovered her, slowly, methodically. His fingers moved to her shirt, and his hands slid slowly behind the fabric, coming into contact with her warm, soft skin. "I am trying to be mad at you."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Then give up."

"I never give up."

"Oh… You'll give up." He said, moving his lips to hers, she let him kiss her slowly, but her hands came to rest on his shirt and she gripped it with her fingers.

"I don't have to give up." She whispered against his lips. "You passed my first experiment."

"What?" He asked, pushing back, she tried to ignore him and pull him to her, but he held his own and tried to keep his focus on her. "What do you mean?"

"I walked away, and you followed…" She said, her wicked grin visible in the darkness, and he shook his head and pulled a little further away from her. "What?"

"I don't want to be an experiment." He said, his voice filled with a deep seriousness.

"It's not a big deal, Booth."

"No, no… Bones… It is a big deal. Did you do that to see what I would do, or were you really upset?"

She paused, swallowing hard, she could feel her stomach twisting slightly as she answered. "No, I was upset."

"You're lying to me." He said, rolling away from her.

"I am not lying to you." She said, sitting up. "I was offended, and I did come up here to think, I'm not lying." She stated seriously, reaching for him again, he pulled away from her once more.

"I'm not a lab rat, Bones… this is not something I mess around with." He said, thumping his chest slightly with his fist. "I know we joked earlier about experiments, but I don't expect to be one of them."

"Booth, that's not what I… I didn't… I… I… ." She whispered.

"What?" He asked, unsure if he had heard her correctly, he waited for her response. "Bones?"

"I'm not experimenting on you, I was just joking around."

"You're sure?" He asked, trying to be sure that she understood the seriousness of the conversation.

"I'm sure. I understand." She said, feeling small and a little hurt. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He whispered, moving closer to her, he pulled her into his arms and held her, her head buried in his chest, he kissed her head as she held him closer to her, gripping him like she was sure that he was going to push her away again. He noticed her anxiety, and wasn't sure if he should say anything, but decided that it would be best to get everything out in the open immediately. "I'm not going to leave you, Bones." He whispered, feeling her body stiffen slightly in his grip, he knew that he had hit a chord. "I'm not going to just get mad and leave you. If I were going to walk away just because I get upset with you, I would have left a long time ago, Bones."

"It's different now." She whispered.

"Bones." He said, his voice was tender and soft. "I know that your brain works about seven billion times faster than mine, but it's only been a couple of hours. Just because we made love, doesn't mean that I'm going to change the way that I act toward you. It doesn't mean I'm going to change and hurt you. I still love you just as much as I loved you this morning, just as much as I loved you a month ago… I love you more."

"You keep using that word." She mumbled into his chest.

"I told you, I don't mess around with my heart, Bones. I've been dancing around these feelings for far too long, and I'm done holding them inside. I am trying to be honest here… I'm not going anywhere. I'm in this for the long haul… we already do the tough part of relationships, we've mastered that… we've earned the easy stuff."

"I don't understand." She mumbled against him, sighing slowly.

"The… prove that you'd die for me routine… the… call me even when you're mad… have you met my bank robber father, alcoholic brother, I was abused and/or abandoned by one or both of my parents and have major trust issues rigmarole. We already know all of that… we already accept one another, we already love one another. The step we took today was just our recognition of what we have been doing for five years, it's our reward, it is ours, it was all that was left to do before we continued together."

"And all of this, because I couldn't keep my notes straight." She said, rolling back from him, she lay on her back and stared at the darkness that was the ceiling.

"Huh?"

"My mistake." She said, glancing to his darkened figure. "I made a mistake, and you felt bad… so you did all of this."

"I didn't do this because of your mistake, Bones. You walked out of the lab and you went home without another word. You wouldn't answer the phone, you wouldn't answer my e-mails… you didn't even want to answer the door for me. I was worried… and I knew that I wasn't worried because I thought you were angry at me… I wasn't worried because you made a mistake… I was worried because I thought that you would think that I thought you were really losing a step. I was more worried that you believed me in my stupid angry tirade, and in that realization… I needed you to know that I thought more of you than just a brain that helps me solve cases. I needed you to know that you're more than just a bone lady, scientist…squint. You're my best friend, Bones. You're my best friend, and someone that I love very much, someone that I really, truly care about… and I wanted to prove that to you." He sighed.

"We've been through a lot together." She whispered.

"We have been through a lot together, you're right."

"I love you." She said suddenly, the words were clear and strong, and took him completely by surprise. "Booth?" She whimpered, her voice reaching out for him to catch the words before they disappeared.

"I love you, Temperance." He whispered into the air, his own words catching hers and keeping them warm and alive in the bed they were sharing.

"Booth?"

"Hmm…?"

"I want to tell you why."

"Why you love me?"

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"I'd rather show you."

"Oh Bones… ever the hands on kind of girl…" He said, rolling on top of her, supporting his weight with his arms as she giggled beneath him.

"Now I'm sure this is an experiment that you can get on board with…" She whispered, lifting her hands to take his face in her hand.

"Hell… yes." He whispered, descending upon her mouth hungrily with his own.


	26. Deal With The Devil

Their love making was tender and filled with softly whispered words of love. He made promises and kept them as their lips battled for control, and their bodies moved in a gentle synchronicity that neither knew possible. Sated and exhausted, they lay together when they parted, their bodies entwined sweetly together as they both attempted to catch their breath. The sweat sparkled on her body in the light of the moon which had risen into the sky sleepily and slowly, as if sneaking up on them. He lay on his side, his finger gently moving in circles on her skin, his eyes watching his hand as she watched his eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" She whispered.

"How beautiful you are, and how stupid I am." He said, his voice was low and husky, his smile evident in the sound of his voice.

"I don't think you're stupid." She replied.

"No." He said, before she spoke any further. "Not stupid like you're thinking." He said, knowing full well the look on her face at this moment. He was very familiar with that perplexed eyebrow raise and the way her lip curled in the corner when he said something that made sense to him, and none whatsoever to her. "I mean… I was stupid to think that you didn't love me like this."

"You mean enough to share an intimate relationship?"

"I mean… well, yeah. I mean that I never thought that you'd say it, the words. Despite what you say, and what you believe, and what you tell me… it wasn't that I didn't think you believed in love. I didn't think that you believed that you could feel love, experience love. I never thought you'd say it, because I never thought you'd trust me enough to believe me, and to believe yourself when you said it." He whispered. "Now I've confused you even…" He was interrupted by her finger touching his lips, his diatribe floating in the air as his words floated around them, the silence a blessing.

"I understand." She said, leaning closer, she moved her finger just as her lips reached it, she placed a soft kiss on his lips. "As exhausted as I am physically, right now, my brain is still pretty awake."

"Would you like to watch a movie with me?"

"I'd like that."

"Good." He said, kissing her nose tenderly before they both dressed and made their way downstairs.

------------

Brennan sat on the couch, facing the television, the tune of the DVD's theme was playing on repeat as she waited to press the 'play' button, and she was getting irritated by the constant repetition of it. He had been in the kitchen for several minutes after setting up the movie, and she was quickly becoming impatient. "Booth, are you coming or not, because I'm going to start the movie without you."

"Patience, grasshopper." He said, poking his head from the kitchen to watch her brow furrow.

"I don't know what that means."

"It means, press the mute button if it's so annoying, Bones. You're the genius."

"Mute button?" She said, glancing at the remote control. "Oh…" She said, pushing the button as she pointed it toward the television, the music stopped playing. "That is rather convenient."

"I'm telling you Bones, you really need to get a television." He said, moving back into the kitchen.

"You know, this sudden silence still does not excuse you from your absence."

"Bones… snacks… I'm coming." He said, watching her impatient face as he ducked back into the kitchen. He reappeared after another moment with a large bowl, and two beers.

"What did you bring us?"

"Popcorn, of course." He said, grabbing the remote control from her, he pushed a button or two, and the lights all around them dimmed.

"That turns the lights off too?" She asked, reaching for the remote.

"My remote." He said, putting it on the table beside where he was sitting, and sat beside her, handing her the large bowl. He watched the scowl on her face for a moment, and she crossed her legs with the bowl sitting atop them, her hand, he smiled and watched her for a moment.

She appeared to be engrossed in the bowl of popcorn, and brought another piece to her lips. Munching on it for a moment, she smirked into the bowl. "If you'd stop staring at me for ten seconds and press the play button, we could get this movie started."

"Oh." He said, shaking his head. "Sorry." He smiled, grabbing the remote, she tried to reach for it again, only to get her hand smacked.

"Come on, Booth!"

"No. Mine." He said, watching her glare.

"Fine… but I'm driving us home tomorrow."

"Not going to happen." He said, pressing the mute button, and then the play button.

"So going to happen."

"Not."

"So."

"Shh, movie is on." He said, feeling her glare for another second, before he reached his hand for the popcorn bowl, she promptly smacked it. "Hey…"

"Mine."

"Bones…"

"If you let me drive us home tomorrow, I'll let you have some." She smiled sweetly as he shook his head.

"Evil."

Her only response was a sly, close lipped smile, her mouth full of popcorn as she held the bowl just out of reach.

"Fine. You can drive us home tomorrow."

"Good boy." She said, smiling at his glare as she stared at the television screen, and moved the bowl so that he could reach the popcorn.


	27. Bump in the Night

They had gone through the bowl of popcorn, and the movie had long since ended, when Booth woke up in the darkened cabin. It took him a moment to wake up enough to figure out where he was, and when he did, he couldn't help but smile.

He was lying on his side, his head buried in the pillow on the arm of the large couch, his arms securely latched around his partner, who was sleeping peacefully with her back against his chest, the same place she had been since about halfway through the movie when they had finished the popcorn and gotten comfortable.

He could feel the soreness of his back from lying on the couch for such a long time, but he dreaded waking her up. He looked toward the digital clock on the television, and noted that it was nearly two in the morning, and he knew that she'd be up in about four hours regardless, so he took a slow, deep breath and closed his eyes again. He could smell the scent of her hair, and smiled against her, happy to have this moment of peace, this moment of quiet, this moment with absolutely no worries.

He felt her move slightly in his arms, a tender groan in her throat, and he wondered for a moment about what had awoken him, and then he heard the whimper. It was a broken sound, one that made his heart beat faster, and he heard it again. He listened carefully and could hear her breathing becoming slightly erratic, and her foot moved. She then settled for several moments, as she had been in his arms when he first woke up, but he heard the noise again, that whimper that was caught between a gasp and a sob, and he wasn't sure if he should wake her or just let it pass. Then she whispered something that he hadn't caught, and he felt her body begin to curl. He held her tightly and pressed his lips to her ear. "Bones." He said softly.

Another whimper escaped her lips and she kicked her foot backwards. "Let go." She growled. "Let go of me." Booth wasn't sure what was going on, and he started to lift his arm, when he heard a heartbreaking whimper. "Booth? Where are you?" She whimpered. He had been fairly sure that she was dreaming before she uttered those words, but now he was positive that she was having a nightmare. "Booth? Help." She whispered.

"Bones?" He said, his voice just a bit louder than a whisper, he felt her twisting in his grip, and he could feel that she was breathing quite erratically now. "Bones… wake up." He said again. "Bones, baby… please wake up." He said, his voice was slightly panicked. He wasn't sure what to do, her whimpers were heartbreaking, and then she began to cry. "Please, Bones…. Please, wake up." He pleaded, kissing her head as he felt her take a sudden intake of breath, and then it stopped. The crying stopped, the heavy breathing stopped, the whimpering… all of it. It was then that he realized that she was awake. She was awake and completely aware of her nightmare and he could tell by how she remained rigid in his arms that she was mortified at being caught in such a vulnerable state. He could take it two ways, and this he knew for certain. He could take the 'boyfriend' route and simply comfort her, tell her he loved her, and he was there for her… or he could be the friend. He chose friend.

"Sometimes I dream that the gravedigger has you again." He whispered against her hair. He felt her stiffen a bit more in his arms, and thought that he had made the wrong decision between friend and lover. "It usually is something ridiculous, like that he has you in a glass room… a sealed box that I can see into, but you can't get out of. It's like there is a chair in the center of it, and you're sitting there, and he or she, or whatever… has you tied up… and I try hitting the walls, but they're too thick… and I try shooting them, but they're bulletproof, and… you are able to get out of the ties, you're not helpless." He whispered. "And you can see me trying so hard, and you're calling my name and I can hear you, and you can hear me… and I just can't get to you." He whispered. "And I watch…" He paused, feeling her body relaxing in his arms, her hands touching his, rubbing slowly as she feels the emotion in his voice, the fear and sadness within his words. "I watch as you run out of air, still calling for me… your hands on the glass, the air being sucked out of your lungs as I watch helplessly… I've had this dream many times, Bones. Sometimes you die in it, sometimes I wake up before it's over… but it's all the same. I wake up, my heart pounding out of my chest like I'm about to have a heart attack, tears streaming down my face. Sometimes I wake up screaming and scare myself out of the dream. The worst thing is…" He whispered. "These dreams are worse than any war nightmare I've ever had… it's more real, more frightening… more terrifying." He whispered, kissing her head.

"Why are you telling me this?" She ventured, her voice small and lost, like a little girl.

"I thought you should know."

The pause was long and thoughtful, and she had been listening to his words so carefully that she had been surprised when they had stopped. Caught up in her own embarrassment, she listened to his words and just let him hold her until the gravity of his words reached her. It was that moment, that she realized that his voice was full of emotion, and if she wasn't positive that he was the strongest person she had ever met, she'd have sworn that he may have been crying. Her pause was becoming longer, and she could feel him breathing into her hair, and for the longest time she tried to get herself to say more, to express how thankful she was that he had shared with her that bit of himself, and all she could manage to whisper was a soft, "I love you."

He knew what she meant by those three words, and he understood the implications that surrounded them. He knew that for her, they meant more than just 'love'. Those words went far beyond anything she could have done at that moment. She didn't just love him, she thanked him, and tenderly he closed his eyes and kissed her once again. "No more bad dreams, Bones. I'm not going anywhere."

"Me neither." She said, closing her eyes, she allowed her body take advantage of its exhausted state, as she drifted off, leaving him to watch over her for several more minutes until he too succumbed to the peacefulness of the moment.


	28. Okay

The next time Booth opened his eyes, his arms were empty. His brow furrowed as he tried to figure out for a moment how she managed to sneak out from beneath his arm, and then realized as he lay there, that someone was looming over him. Slowly, he lifted his head, coming face to face with his partner as she leaned over the back of the couch and smiled at him. "It's about time." She said, reaching over the couch, she ran her fingers through his hair as he gave her a sleepy smile.

"What on earth are you doing?" He asked, watching her shrug her shoulder and smile.

"Nothing."

"You were watching me sleep."

"Yeah… no…" She shrugged. "I'm not tired anymore. I wanted to let you sleep."

"I have noticed that you are very much like a little girl in the morning."

"No." She said, rolling onto the back of the couch, she rolled the rest of the way so that she landed on him. "That's not true." She smiled as she rolled back to where she had been sleeping all night, his arm snaking around her, she felt his kiss on her head.

"It's very much true…" He whispered, kissing her again. "I like it."

"How is your back?" She asked, lifting her head so that she could look into his eyes.

"I don't know, I haven't tried moving yet." He said, moving so that he could kiss her nose.

"What are we doing today?" She asked, tipping her head just a bit, she had such an innocent look in her eyes, he could only smile for a moment. "Booth?"

"Huh? Oh… today? I was just thinking we'd clean up here, pack up and go home. I'm sure you're eager to get back to the lab tomorrow, and I just figured you'd want to…"

"Why would you think I want to get back to the lab?" She asked curiously, watching as he shrugged a little, his brow furrowed in concern that he had offended her. "I am having fun here with you."

"I'm having fun with you." He said, watching her smile, which reassured him that he hadn't made a wrong decision in making an assumption. "We can go home later, but we might as well pack up and get out of here. I'm sure we can find something fun to do on the way back."

"Okay." She said, settling into the silence that was passing between them, he watched her pause and concentrated on her eyes for a moment. "I'm going to go take a shower." She said, her eyes flashing from one of his to the other as she watched the corners of his eyes wrinkle slightly as he tried to keep a smile from her.

"Okay." He said, noticing that she wasn't moving just yet, he watched her eyes as they looked playfully into his. "Go on…"

"Okay." She said, still not moving.

"Bones?" He said, noticing that a pink hue was rising in her cheeks as she bit her lower lip. "Bones…" He whispered, taking on a tone that suggested that she was being less than pure in her thinking.

"It was just a thought." She shrugged.

"It was just a thought…" He said, watching the blush become darker as she closed her eyes.

"I have to go." She said, rolling to climb from the couch, he grabbed for her hand and snatched it before she could get away.

"Hey!"

"Hey you! You're the one asking me to take a shower with you."

"I did not!"

"You didn't have to." He said, smiling at her as he pulled her arm, sending her crashing back down onto the couch with him, she landed nearly on him, settling on the couch, she laughed as he tugged her again, her mouth moving down to meet with his. "You know… I just thought of something that I should have thought about before I kidnapped you."

"What is that?" She asked, sounding humored by his sudden thought, she couldn't imagine what he could have possibly forgot.

"Angela."

"Angela?" She asked, sitting up, she raised her eyebrow in question.

"She knew you were upset when you left work Friday. She's probably been looking for you. She probably thinks someone kidnapped you."

"But someone did kidnap me." She shrugged.

"And you're going to tell her who?"

"Why wouldn't I tell her?"

"You tell her, and everyone within screaming distance is going to know." He said tenderly, his finger tracing circles on her hand as she leaned against him.

"Are you embarrassed about our relationship?"

"Absolutely not."

"Then why would it be a problem if everyone in screaming distance knew that we did the horizontal samba."

"It's horizontal tango, Bones…"

"Hmm…" She said as she leaned down to kiss him tenderly. "I was fairly sure that some of those moves we did were not… a tango…" She purred against him as he laughed against her skin.

"I think we should take this 'us' thing slowly, Bones."

"But this 'us' thing isn't going slowly." She whispered, their faces inches apart, their eyes staring directly into one another's.

"I know." He swallowed, his body reacting to her closeness. "But… everyone already assumes we're together now. I think that… our jobs are stressful enough, and if we told people about us, that would just add to the stress that we already deal with."

"And you don't think that if we withhold this information from Angela, that she's not going to make us regret it for years to come?"

"It won't be for long. Just long enough for us to figure out what we're doing, okay?"

"I am a horrible liar."

"I know." He said, tipping his head to show his amusement at her surprised look, her jaw dropping slightly as her eyes widened. "I'll help you lie."

"And how are you going to do that?"

"You'll see." He said as he leaned up quickly and kissed her lips quickly. "Let's go take that shower now." He tilted his head and gave her an innocent glance that melted her heart. She rolled her eyes and held out her hand, standing up, he took her hand and allowed her to help pull him up.

He touched her arms carefully as he moved around her, pressing his lips to hers as he twirled her around a bit. He leaned down to her ear, his hot breath tickling her skin. "Last one in the shower washes last…" He said, turning to take off up the stairs.

"That is not fair!" She shouted, running after him as he disappeared up the stairs laughing, with his partner hot on his heels.


	29. Buckle Up

They showered and dressed, cleaning up the rooms of the cabin, they made their way downstairs and packed the SUV with their belongings. There they stood, awkwardly staring at their bags in the back of the SUV. "So?" Booth said, clapping his hands, he turned to face her. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." She nodded, her eyes still on the bags in the back, she turned to face him. "Do we have to?"

"I love it when you say that." He said, walking toward her, he dropped a kiss on her forehead as he walked back toward the cabin. She turned around and watched him.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to lock up, and then we'll get going." He said, watching her nod as he smiled and tipped his head curiously, walking backwards, he nearly tripped, so he turned around and jogged toward the house with the sound of her giggle filling the air behind him. He shook his head and climbed the porch, glancing back at her as she moved to close the hatch on the SUV, he opened the door and disappeared into the cabin.

She watched as he stepped inside, and the door closed behind him, and she walked over to the driver's side, opening the door slowly, she watched for him for a moment, and as soon as he walked out of the door, she climbed into the driver's seat and made sure to close the door nice and loudly so that when he turned around, she would see the smile on his face as he approached the SUV and shook his head.

He stepped to the passenger side, and opened the door, watching her hold her hand out for the keys. "You're really going to make me sit idly in the passenger seat?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I like to drive… get inside."

"Is there anything I can do to convince you otherwise?"

"Get in the car, Booth."

"Bones? I will give you…"

"Seeley!" She exclaimed, watching his eyes widen at the sound of his first name coming from her lips, and with that, he tossed her the keys and jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door behind him. "Now buckle up…"

"But…"

"I'm driving."

"Good point." He said, pulling at the seatbelt, he clicked it quickly without another word, his eyes straight ahead. "Not that I don't trust your driving."

"Of course." She nodded, putting the key in the ignition, she started the car and began to slowly back up so that they could turn around.

"Because I trust you implicitly…" He said, looking behind them as she backed up, ensuring that she didn't roll them down the steep embankment behind the SUV.

"Of course you do."

"Bones, you're going to want to stop…" He said, feeling the car stop suddenly as he jerked forward and back in his seat.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Just making sure your seatbelt works." She said with an overly sweet smile.

"Not funny."

"A little bit funny." She said, turning down the gravel road, they were silent as she drove them away from the cabin.

"Hey Bones?"

"Yeah?" She said, glancing to him as he gave her a half smile.

"The first name thing?"

"Yeah, I knew I shouldn't have said it as soon as it left my lips."

"Thanks."

--------------

The ride away from the cabin was in complete silence but for the grinding of the gravel beneath their tires. Booth periodically looked at his partner, noting her concentration on the road before them as she moved down the mountain, the ground a bit damp, the trees sparkling with rain from the late night storm that they had slept through.

"Bones?"

"Hm…?"

"What was your nightmare about, last night?"

She turned her head and glanced to him for a second, obviously surprised by his question. "I don't remember." She shrugged, turning her attention back to the road.

"You really are a bad liar."

"I don't remember, Booth." She said, her voice obviously defensive, she was surprised he'd say such a thing.

"You do remember, Bones. You just don't want to tell me. That's fine." He said, turning his head to look out the window, he watched them pass by the trees slowly, his fingers tapping gently on his leg. He wasn't trying to get an answer out of her, or wait her out. He was just enjoying the scenery, when he felt the gravel beneath them slide under the tires, and his body rock against the seatbelt again as she came to an abrupt stop. "Geez, Bones, what are you doing?" He said, looking at her, he noticed that her eyes were a bit red, as if she were trying not to cry. "Hey, what's going on? Are you alright?"

"No… well, yeah… I mean, this weekend has been very emotional for me, and I don't know how to… I don't… know what we're… I don't know… I don't feel very rational right now, and my thoughts are a little jumbled, and I don't know what to say or do… or…" She swallowed hard. "Maybe I should just drive." She whispered, starting to take her foot off the brake, he reached out and touched her hand.

"Bones." He said softly. "It's okay."

"No… No, it's not okay." She said, slamming the car into park in the middle of the road, Booth looked behind them for a second, and back to his partner. "It's not okay, Booth." She sucked in her breath and tipped her head back. "I'm sorry."

"Bones, it's alright…"

"I just… I've never told anyone that I have loved them, and meant it." She whispered, that admission slipping off her lips as if she had just informed him of some horrible news, he smiled slightly.

"Hey…"

"And it is very scary for me, very… very scary and I know that I meant it, and I needed to say it, and not because you said it, but because I felt it… and felt the need to say it, and what if… what if we get off of this mountain and you don't say it anymore." She said, seeing his eyes widen slightly, she thought he was going to laugh, so she reached her hand out and covered his mouth. "Don't laugh. It's not funny. It's irrational and stupid and it makes absolutely no sense. So don't laugh." She said, her eyes filled with such palpable worry that he simply smiled against her hand, and left it there. "Promise me you won't laugh.

He shook his head as he leaned closer to her, her hand still on his mouth. He leaned closer, and her hand slipped off his mouth just as he moved close enough to her ear. His right hand reached out, and he pulled the car into drive, knowing that her foot was on the brake. "I love you." He whispered.

"Booth?" She said, trying to turn her head, he reached up and touched her cheek with his finger tips, so she couldn't look at him.

"I love you…" He whispered, he could practically hear her brain working as he whispered it again. "I love you, Bones." He said again, feeling the car begin to move slightly, he whispered it again. "I love you." She drove a little farther, her breath caught in her throat for a moment when she felt his hand resting on her leg as he whispered it again. "I love you, Bones. I love you." He said again.

"Booth?" She whispered as they neared the bottom of the mountain, his words still whispering into her ear again and again.

"I love you, baby." He whispered, feeling the skin on her neck prickle at the warmth of his breath. "I love you."

She stopped the car at the bottom of the mountain, the intersection with one of the more main roads, and she turned her head, their lips just a breath apart. "Booth?" She whispered.

"I love you." He said again, this time his eyes on hers as he watched the fear drain from her eyes, replaced with a bit of humor, and quite a bit of happiness. "I love you, Boots."

"Bones."

"That's your name, don't wear it out." He said with a playful smile, he watched as she opened her mouth to say something to him, but before anything could escape, his mouth was on hers, as they shared a tender valley kiss, before parting slowly.

"You love me, I get it." She whispered.

"Good girl." He winked, smiling at her raised eyebrows as he laughed and sat back in the passenger seat, a satisfied smile on his lips as he settled in for the drive toward home.


	30. Phone Home

As they drove out of the mountains and toward D.C., Brennan heard her phone beep in her pocket. She glanced to Booth and he had his head tipped back resting, his eyes closed. She glanced at the screen as she drove and sighed. "This is not good." She mumbled to herself as she looked through the missed calls, and listened to her voicemail.

"What's not good?" Booth asked, looking over at his partner with a sleepy glance, stretching a bit as he yawned.

"Three messages from Angela."

"That's not as bad as I thought."

"No, three voice mails… and six text messages." She said, handing the phone to Booth, who scrolled through the different messages. He chuckled slightly and she glanced to him. "What?"

"Nothing, just the increase in concern with each message… first one… 'Bren, you okay?' , that was Friday night. Later Friday night. 'Bren, don't make me come over.' Even later… 'I am here, where are you?'" Booth laughed. "That must have been right after we left." He glanced to Brennan and she rolled her eyes. "Saturday morning she says… 'sending search party' then… 'fine, if you don't want to answer me, whatever.' And the last one is… this morning…" He started to laugh.

"What? What does it say?" She asked, trying to grab it from him.

"Hey… eyes on the road." He said, nodding toward the road.

"What does it say, Booth?"

"It says… 'Called Booth, he is on assignment, are you with him?'" He laughed.

"On assignment?"

"Yeah, I called the office on Friday night and told them to redirect all of my calls to Charlie because I was on an undercover assignment."

"Why would you do that?"

"Just in case this happened…" He said, holding the phone in his hand, he started pushing buttons.

"Hey, what are you doing?" She asked, watching as he held the phone out of reach, she grabbed for it.

"Bones, Bones! Road! Watch the road!"

"I am watching the road, give me my phone." She exclaimed as she watched him continue to type into it. "Booth, what are you doing?"

"I'm just texting her back." He shrugged.

"No! Booth! If you text her back…." Brennan started to say as he pressed the send button. Not two seconds later, the phone rang. "She'll call…"

"Well, answer…" He smiled, watching her irritated glare as he handed her the phone, the chirping ring finally stopped. "See, she stopped…"

"Booth…" Brennan sighed as the phone began to ring again. "What did you say to her?"

"I just said that you had a great, relaxing weekend… and that you were looking forward to getting back to work tomorrow." He said innocently, watching the glare on her face as she put her finger to her lips to indicate that she wanted him to be quiet, and she pressed a button on the phone.

"Hey, Ange." She said, watching as Booth tried not to laugh, she glared at him as she drove, and he tried to pay attention to something else. "No. I'm fine." She sighed. "You don't have to worry about me, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I left my cell phone at the apartment, and I checked into a hotel for the weekend in order to work on my book." She said, noticing that Booth's attention was on her. "What hotel?" She asked, watching Booth shrug his shoulders. "It doesn't matter what hotel, I'm not there anymore. I'm on my way home." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "No, I don't know where he is." She said, watching Booth for a moment as he stuck his tongue out at her, she smiled, carefully pulling the car over onto a scenic overlook, she watched him looking outside for a moment. "Ange, I'm not his keeper, he's probably off on some boring undercover case… dressed like a woman or something." She said, watching her partner's jaw drop, he went to grab the phone from her, and she smacked his hand, giving him a growling face, she laughed at whatever Angela said over the line. "Yeah, I'll be in tomorrow, I'll tell you all about the hotel. Okay, yeah… it's good to know you're alive too." She said. "Later." She said, hitting the button on the phone, she tossed it into the center console.

"Dressed like a woman?" He asked, incredulously.

"Hey, I don't know what you do for fun."

"Oh yes you do." He said, that charming smile of his warming her heart as she rolled her eyes and smiled back at him. "By the way… good lie…"

"It's all I could come up with, and it's much easier to lie over the telephone."

"Of course it is." He said, rolling his eyes a little. "And not entirely untrue… you were in a hotel of sorts… and you were working on inspiration for your book."

"You are not Andy Listor, Booth."

"Right… and you're not really completely right handed." He said, raising his eyebrows as her jaw dropped.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She exclaimed, she grabbed his shirt and tugged at it as he leaned toward her.

"Oh, you know what it means, you sexy little squint." He growled, capturing her lips with his own as he listened to her giggle against his mouth, as they took a much needed break from driving.

-----------

**For those of you reading my other fic... I understand that I don't update that one NEARLY as much as I update this one, however... this one is so much easier to write and is more of an exercise for my muse. Spaces In Between is a lot more intense and the scenes take a lot longer to materialize. So don't think that we're not working on that fic also, this one takes me a good ten minutes per update and very often i write it in between working on updates for the other fic. Enjoy :)**


	31. Be There, or Be Square

Brennan pulled the SUV up to the front of her building and glanced over at her partner. He had been watching out of the window silently for the past half hour, his thoughts obviously somewhere else, and she was starting to get a bit concerned. "Hey." She said, watching his head turn to face her, his eyes brightened a bit, and it made her smile. "You look a little out of it."

"I just think I'm tired… a weekend away from it all, and I am exhausted." He smiled.

"I know, it doesn't make sense, but I understand." She said, turning the car off. "Do you want to come inside?" She whispered, allowing the question to linger in the air for a moment, she watched him shrug a bit.

"I could." He nodded. "But… you look like you want to get situated for work tomorrow, so it's okay if we pass." He said, watching a bit of disappointment flash in her eyes before she nodded.

"I wouldn't ask you if I didn't want you to come inside." She said, raising her eyebrows, he nodded knowingly.

"I know, Bones." He said, yawning, his arms stretched above his head as he glanced to the building and back at his partner. "Why don't you get settled… I'll go home and bring my stuff in, and I'll pick you up at seven, we'll go to dinner." He said, watching her nod her head, a bit of apprehension in her features. "We're fine, Bones… stop overanalyzing everything."

"I'm not overanalyzing, I'm not analyzing…" She mumbled defensively. "I'm not." She said definitively.

"You're doing something, I am watching the gears in your brain working overtime."

"I don't know what that means, Booth." She shook her head, furrowing her brow.

"Doesn't matter." He said, unbuckling his seatbelt, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "What do you say, Boots… Dinner?" He whispered in her ear.

"Where?" She asked, giving him a scrutinizing look that lifted his eyebrows in faux surprise.

"Diner?"

"You're a cheap date." She said, unbuckling her seatbelt, she raised her eyebrows and pressed the button for the back hatch and rolled her eyes playfully as she opened the door and slipped from the car with a laugh.

"What? We always go to the diner!" He said, watching the door close in his face as she walked around to the back of the SUV. He pulled the keys from the ignition and climbed out of his side and walked around to the back, meeting her just as she pulled at the door.

"I'm just teasing you." She said, reaching for her bag, he grabbed it before she could. "Booth."

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't carry your bag for you, Bones?"

"One that recognized a strong willed woman, who is more than capable to carry her own bag." She said, reaching for the bag, he turned around as he dodged her hand, closing the back of the SUV. "Booth…" She growled.

"Fine then… think of it more that I am carrying your bag… because I know it irritates the crap out of you." He said, sending her a bright, toothy grin that only earned him a sneer from his partner, succeeding in making his smile brighter.

"Booth, just give me the bag." She said, chasing after him as he opened the door, allowing her to walk past him, he waved at the security guard that was posted in the lobby, another that he had made acquaintance with over the years.

"Bones, just relax… It's still the weekend." He said, pushing the button for the elevator, she reached for the bag, and he turned, just as the doors opened to pull her into the elevator with him.

"Booth, stop!" She exclaimed, watching him turn around and roll his eyes at the laughing security guard as the elevator doors closed with the two partners inside.

Just as the elevator doors closed, Booth turned sharply into his partner as she reached for her bag, and his hands landed on her shoulders. "B…" Her protest was stopped as he crashed his lips into hers, pushing her against the wall of the elevator, he slammed his hips against hers and groaned against her lips as her hands moved to his head, tipping his lips to her as his hands roamed her body. She emitted just a small squeak of protest when the kiss had begun, but by the time the elevator reached the floor of her apartment, she was completely involved in the kiss, her hands running over the stubble on his face as he pulled her from him just as the elevator made the distinctive 'ping' sound as it ended up at her floor. She stood, dumbfounded and completely speechless as she stared at him.

"Hey… Bones?" He said, snapping her out of her trance, her lips swollen from the kiss, his taste still in her mouth as she blinked once, twice. "Bones?" He laughed.

"Huh?"

"Here's your bag." He said, handing the bag over to her, he gave her a little tug out of the elevator and she turned to face him with the same surprised expression on her face. "I love you, Bones…" He whispered, kissing her lips tenderly, her tongue darting out to lick her lips when he stepped backwards, and she blushed slightly. He stepped back into the elevator. "I'll be here at seven to pick you up for dinner."

"Okay." She whispered.

He gave her a friendly little wave, and a humored expression passed over his features, as he tipped his head in curiosity, and the elevator doors closed, leaving her staring for a moment at the closed doors. She was just about to turn toward her apartment when the doors opened again, and she was once again staring into his eyes, his hand holding the door open. "Say it." He whispered.

"I love you." She said, watching the brilliant smile adorn his lips as he stepped back into the elevator.

"Seven o'clock, Bones… Be there, or be square." The door started to close, and he laughed as he heard her voice exclaim that she didn't know what that meant, just as the doors closed.


	32. Muscles and Bones

Temperance entered her apartment slowly, her eyes moving to the couch where her blanket sit discarded, her book sitting beside it and she smiled slightly as she swung her bag to the floor, the sound of it landing in front of her jolted her into a different reality then the last time she had been in this apartment, and she thought for a moment that she felt a little lighter, and a lot more rested than she had when she left. Before she had time to stop it, a smile had slipped onto her face, and she moved toward the couch, sitting on the spot where he had been sitting before he whisked her away for an exciting weekend away from it all, she rolled her eyes as she tipped sideways, breathing in a bit of that leftover scent that still remained in her blanket. She felt a bit ridiculous, her stomach doing flips as she tried to hold in her happiness to absolutely no avail. She had never felt this way before, she had never felt so free and unrestricted, so unguarded. It felt good, and she fought all of her instincts that tried to tell her that it was wrong.

Her eyes fell to the clock across the room, and she sighed as she looked at the time. It was nearly two in the afternoon, very early for a Sunday afternoon, and not a lot of time until Booth came back to pick her up. She felt a little tired, the nightmares the night before, mixed with getting up early, the activities from the previous day, not to mention the long drive, had exhausted her to an extent. She felt good, she felt happy, she felt energized and as if she wanted to share this new feeling with the world. It was different, but it was good, and she had absolutely no idea how to express it.

She rolled off the couch and stood up, walking over to her stereo, she pulled out a CD or two, looking at the covers, she couldn't find any that would suit her mood. She noted to herself that it was time to find some new music, and she just flicked on the radio station to a local rock station as she moved around the apartment to the music and attempted to clean up the apartment from Friday. She gathered her book and her blanket, setting the book beside the couch, she folded the blanket carefully and placed it on the back of the couch as she felt the sudden pang of hunger hit her stomach.

She glanced to the clock once again and shrugged, making her way toward the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a container of strawberries, a smile on her lips when she thought of the delicious strawberries that Booth had given her when they had gotten to the top of the mountain. She found herself grinning as she crossed the kitchen and walked back toward the couch, pulling her feet up beneath her, she quietly ate the strawberries in peace, a soft sigh on her lips as she let her eyes pass to her cell phone on the table beside the couch where she had placed it.

She popped another berry into her mouth and lifted the phone, her foot tapping lightly to the music blasting from her stereo, she shifted and pressed a button on the phone, deciding that she'd look through Angela's text messages. She smiled through most of them, thinking about how much fun it was to have gotten away from everything over the weekend, when she jumped at the ringing of the phone in her hand. Flashing across the screen, she saw the number and 'name' of who was calling, and she laughed out loud. In large letters across the phone, instead of 'Booth', was the word 'Muscles'. She laughed as she lifted the phone to her ear. "Muscles? Really?" She asked, laughing as she heard his laughter over the line.

"No, no… I'm Muscles, you are Bones!" He replied, listening to her laughter over the line. "Are you listening to music?"

"Yes." She said, standing up quickly, she moved to the stereo and turned the music off, waiting for him to say something. "Why?"

"No reason… no reason." He said, pausing again.

"Why are you calling me, Muscles?"

"I'm calling you Bones…"

"Booth!" She said, rolling her eyes, she flopped back down on the couch and listened to his easy laughter.

"I just needed to hear your voice."

"That doesn't make any sense. You just left here. Are you concerned that I'm in danger?"

"No." He replied.

"Then you don't need to hear my voice." She argued, listening to his soft chuckle over the line.

"Can't a guy just call his girlfriend?"

"I hardly would call me your girlfriend." She said, pausing at her words, she noticed that his laughing had stopped, and she felt a sudden urgency to get it back, as if she had said something wrong. "I mean… we haven't even gone out on an official date yet." She said quickly. "You just kidnapped me, and that was it."

"This is very true." He said in a tender tone, his demeanor seemingly less jovial and much more serious. "We'll have to rectify that, won't we?"

"Yes." She said, waiting for a joke or for him to say something silly.

"Bones?" he said, his tone serious, her stomach knotted.

"Is something wrong, Booth?"

There was a light chuckle. "No, no… I just wanted to let you know that I'm not going to take you to the diner tonight. We'll go someplace nice… not too fancy, but I wanted to… um…"

She noticed that he seemed nervous all of a sudden, and she smiled as she thought of his eyes averting their gaze as he spoke. "Booth? You sound nervous. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He replied. "I just wanted to officially ask you…"

"Ask me what?" She said, shaking her head in confusion.

"Will you go out with me?"

"Booth." She said, her voice seemingly humored by the silly question, he was silent at the pause after she had said his name, and she knew he was waiting on an answer. "Of… course, of course." She said, shrugging. "I don't know why you felt you needed to ask."

"When I left, I just assumed… and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I hadn't actually asked you, I more or less told you… and I wanted to be fair. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense." She nodded.

"So you'll go out with me?"

"Yes."

"You'll be my girlfriend?"

"Booth…" She giggled.

"Say it, please?"

"I'll be your girlfriend."

"It's a lot cuter when you say it."

"I am not cute, Booth. I am a grown woman… grown women are not cute."

"I'm going to have to disagree with you there, Bones. You, my friend are cute. Don't deny it, go with it… embrace it, accept it… love it."

"Booth." She laughed.

"Alright, Bones. I'm going to let you do your thing… I will see you at seven."

"See you at seven." She replied. "Booth?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Why is that?"

"For being respectful enough to ask. I appreciate it."

"I know, could I be any more perfect?" He asked, jokingly.

"No." She said quickly. "I'll see you later, Booth."

"What was that, Bones? Did you say no?"

"I will see you later…"

"Bones, answer… come on…"

"Bye, Booth."

"Bones?"

"Love you, bye." She said, hanging up the phone, she laughed to herself as she imagined him still pleading to an empty phone line.


	33. One of 'Those'

As soon as seven o'clock rolled around, Brennan heard a knock at her door. She rolled her eyes as she applied her lipstick, and heard the knock again. "I'll be right there, Booth." She called, sighing as she looked around for her shoes, she walked through her bedroom, a furrowed brow, and her lip slipping into her mouth as she heard the knock again. "Geez, will you just hold your…" She swung the door open and was immediately presented with a single wildflower at eye level. "Horses…" She mumbled. "What is this?" She asked, eying him carefully as she moved to the side to let him pass her, pulling the flower from his fingertips as she twirled it nervously.

"Well, you're the one with the four digit IQ, I figured that was an easy one." He said, following her with his eyes as he stepped into the apartment. "Are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Actually Booth, the highest IQ ever recorded was only three digits long. I've told you this, that even though the testing methods at the time were considered to be…" She saw that glassy look in his eyes that she often did when she gave one of her lectures, so she stopped herself from spouting off useless facts simply because she was nervous. "I'll be ready in a minute." She said, marching past him toward her bedroom. "Make yourself comfortable." She said, disappearing into the bedroom.

"I never pegged you to be one of those women, Bones." He said as he sat down on her couch, smiling to himself.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, poking her head around the corner with her eyebrows rose curiously, she watched him suspiciously.

"One of those women who take their time getting ready… making their man wait for another half hour after they arrive…" He teased.

"It's fashionable, and I'm almost done. Don't be one of those guys…"

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, watching her for a moment, she slipped back into the bedroom.

"One of those guys that whine about the amount of time it takes their girlfriend to get ready." She said from within the bedroom. "I never pegged you to be one of those guys." She said, her eyes widening in surprise when she went to walk out of the bedroom, only to find him standing in the doorway. "What are you doing in my bedroom? Out." She said, waving her hand as she stepped toward him, she noticed her shoes sitting by the door.

"I'm not allowed in your bedroom?" He asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Nope." She said, slipping her shoes on, she reached her hand out and touched his chest as if she were going to push him out of the way, only for him to catch her hand and pull her into him.

"Well, that's not fair…"

"Why isn't that fair?" She whispered, her chest against his, her chin turned up so that she stared into his eyes.

"I'd let you into my bedroom."

"That…" She said as she leaned up and kissed his cheek softly, pulling away from him she walked around him and poked his chest as she passed him. "That is because you're one of 'those' guys." She said, a tiny giggle slipping from between her lips as he turned around to follow after her.

"Oh, Bones…" He shook his head, following her toward the door, she lifted her purse up and turned to face him. "You wound me." He said, stepping in front of her, he opened the door and ushered her outside.

"Well, that would be nearly impossible." She said, handing him her keys, she watched him lock her door and turn to face her.

"And why is that?" He whispered, stepping close, he dropped a kiss on her lips as he smiled.

"Well… first of all… you're always standing in front of me."

He nodded, watching her give him a sly half grin. "And what's the other reason?"

"You never let me have a gun." She said, listening to his full laugh as he held his arm out for her to hook hers in.

"Damn straight, Bones." He said as she hooked her arm as they walked toward the elevator. "I'm your gun."

"I have never heard a truer statement." She teased him back, refusing to look at the jaw drop on her partner, as she stepped into the elevator without him, a smug grin adorning her lips as she waited for him to join her.

-------------


	34. Perfect

Brennan's arm was still in Booth's when they reached the lobby, and Booth walked with her through the front doors of the building toward the car. He was about to reach out to grab the door handle when she released his arm and stepped forward, doing it for herself, she turned and caught the look in his eyes. "I understand that you know that I'm not helpless, and I understand courting rituals… I just think that…"

"It's fine, Bones." He said, smiling as he nodded. "Business as usual, got it."

"Thank you for not arguing." She said with a bright smile. She seemed pleased with herself, and for that he was happy. It was never his intention to make her feel uncomfortable, so if she wanted to open her own door, he wasn't going to force his chivalry upon her. He closed the door behind her and stepped around to the front of the SUV, slipping into the seat beside her. "Where are we going?" She asked, her eyebrows raised curiously as she watched his sideways glance to her.

"I haven't decided yet." He shrugged. "Let's see where the night takes us." He said, giving her a charming smile that reached his eyes. They were quiet for several moments, and Booth drove, suddenly realizing that her eyes were on him. "You look beautiful tonight." He said, taking a glance toward her, he watched as her cheeks blushed a bit, her head tilting as she watched his eyes periodically meet with hers.

"Thank you." She replied, watching him glance at her again. "Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"Watch the road."

"I am watching the road, but I have a beautiful woman beside me, I want to make sure that all of her needs are met."

"I assure you, Booth. I am just fine… now unless you want me to end up in the hospital with cuts on my face and seatbelt burn… I recommend you pay attention to the red light that we're going through." She said, just as Booth slammed on his brake, he turned his head to face her, her eyes wide as he realized that there was no red light.

"Bones!" He exclaimed, watching a smile light up her face as she shook her head. "Don't do that!"

"Then pay attention to the road ,big guy… I promise, you'll get an opportunity to ogle me later."

"I am not ogling… I'm… appreciating." He said, his eyes now straight ahead.

They were quiet for several moments, and Booth appeared to have decided where they were going, when he glanced at her and then back to the road. "You said I was perfect today."

"I did." She admitted, he glanced to her, surprised she would offer up that information so readily. He thought he'd have to fish for it. "Because you are, absolutely perfect… no room for improvement." She said, a satisfied smirk on her face as she paid attention out the window. He wasn't sure if she was being sarcastic, or if she was serious, and her response had completely taken him by surprise.

"Really?" He asked, his chest puffing out just a little bit in pride while his eyes flashed to his partner.

"Yep." She nodded.

"Care to explain?"

"Nope." She shook her head.

"Bones?"

"Yes?" She said, raising her eyebrows as she glanced to her partner, she gave him a sweet smile that he couldn't quite place.

"Are you being sarcastic?"

"Come on, Booth. You know that I don't do sarcasm. By all of the typical social testaments of being the perfect male specimen, I would have to say that you're in the highest percentile of all of them. You're strong, strong willed, brave, smart… though you have a great ability to act as if you're a lot dumber than you actually are. You are a fantastic father, a superb friend. You're handsome and kind, and you are remarkably protective. As I said, no room for improvement."

"You forgot one thing…" He said, watching her eyes meet his for a second, she gave him a suspicious glance. "I have impeccable taste in women."

"You also have a sense of hubris and self worth that would put Narcissus to shame." She joked, giggling to herself, she turned her head to see his face, and noticed that he was staring out the windshield, almost insulted. "I was kidding, Booth."

"Oh." He nodded, she noticed him swallowing hard and knew immediately that she had gone too far.

"Um…" She said, the tension obviously mounting as she reached for his hand. Nonchalantly, he switched hands on the steering wheel, and dropped his other hand to his lap. She felt her heart drop. "Where are we having dinner?" She whispered. He glanced to her and could tell she felt guilty for hurting his feelings, and he felt bad. He was caught in the middle between wanting to comfort her, and wanting her to know that sometimes her words were hurtful. He knew that she had recognized her mistake, he could see it in her eyes, so when he switched hands again, he placed it on the center console, wiggling his fingers to indicate that he was sorry for overreacting. "Booth?" She said, taking his hand as if the entire earlier exchange hadn't happened.

He smiled. "We're almost there."

"Booth?"

"I know, Bones… it's fine."

"Okay." She said, squeezing his hand in hers, he squeezed hers back as he drove them toward their destination.

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**So I may have a plan for this fic... but it may turn on the angst a bit, and I don't know if i want to keep this one fluffy and start a new fic... or just add the angst to this one... I guess i'll have to think about it... Suggestions are welcome :) The truth is... i started this fic to get me through the hiatus, and there is absolutely no plan for it... so any advice or ideas are greatly appreciated! :)**


	35. Dinner for Two

**Well, my fellow readers... it appears that fluff with a small side order of angst was the final verdict... We're going to take this hiatus very fluffy... and if that other idea starts to rear its other head... well, i guess i'll have to start a THIRD fic... lol... :) Enjoy! :) Thank you for your advice... it was GREATLY appreciated... :)**

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Booth pulled into the driveway of a small house, and glanced to his partner as she raised her eyebrows at him curiously. He said nothing as he pulled into the back, where it opened up to a larger gravel parking lot, where there were one or two other cars parked. "What is this place?"

"Just a little gem I found a little while back." He said, pulling into one of the parking spaces, he parked the car and smiled at his partner. "Now you stay right there for a second."

"Booth…"

"Psh!" He said, holding his finger out to hush her. "When you take me out on a date, you can open my door, okay Ms. Equal Opportunity?" He said, watching her smile a bit at his comment as he opened his door and climbed out, rushing around to the other side, she almost laughed when he realized the door was still locked, rolled his eyes and pressed the keyless entry. He reached out and opened the door, pocketing his key as he held his hand out. She took his hand wordlessly and allowed him to lead her from the car, closing the door behind her, she took his arm and walked with him toward the sidewalk.

"What kind of food do they have here?" She whispered, feeling his fingers carefully rubbing on her hand, he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"You'll see." He said, leading her to the front porch, he walked to the door and carefully opened it, leading her inside.

"Who else have you taken here?" She whispered.

"Temperance." He said, her name dancing off his tongue delicately and not coddling, and the use of her first name forced her mouth to close and her eyes to sparkle as she looked up at him.

"Point taken." She whispered, watching his charm smile appear as the host at the small podium at the front nodded and led them through the small vestibule and through a series of rooms to a tiny table situated by a large picture window that looked out onto a garden on the other side of the house.

"This place is a historical home that they turned into a restaurant. George used to take Martha here all the time…" He said, watching her brow furrow in confusion. "You know, the Washingtons… of Washington D.C." He said, completely serious as she let out a small giggle.

"Booth, the architecture of this home is not that of George Washington's time, and…"

"Geez, Bones… can't you just let a guy try to impress you?"

"Not when the guy is inaccurate. That's not impressive at all…"

"But aren't you impressed that I knew who the third president of the United States is." He said, hiding his face behind his menu.

"Booth, you know that George Washington was the first… you're teasing me…" She said, watching his eyes appear at the top of his menu, that playful, mischievous look hidden within his dark eyes, she could see that he was smiling behind the menu. "What are you going to have?"

"You." He whispered over the menu, watching her blush as she brought the menu up to hide her face from him, just as the waiter walked over to them.

Booth ordered them a bottle of wine, and an appetizer, and Brennan continued to look over the menu. "This place is pretty pricey." She whispered, watching Booth shake his head disapprovingly.

"Order whatever you want, Bones."

"But Booth…"

"When you take me out on a date, you can take me to the diner if you want… but I'm not a cheapskate… I wanted to go someplace special, stop pointing out flaws, and enjoy yourself."

"You are spoiling me." She whispered back.

"Temperance." He said again, her eyes darting back to the menu as their appetizer was delivered by the waiter. They each ordered and were served their wine, they waited patiently for their meal as Booth held up his glass. "A toast."

"Really?"

"To our first date… and many more in the future." He said, watching her smile and lift her glass to his, she didn't argue, and clinked her glass with his, watching his eyes on her as she sipped her wine. "You look beautiful tonight."

"You keep saying that, you're going to give me a complex."

"I can't help it, I see a beautiful woman and I have to tell her."

"Angela is a very beautiful woman, you never tell her that's true."

"Well, she's not my type… I like my women brainy and… beautiful, and…"

"Brennan?"

"Right." He chuckled at her joke, watching her eyes follow his. "What?"

"I should probably tell you…"

"What?" He asked suspiciously, unsure if she was going to say something to make him uncomfortable, she seemed so serious.

"That you're looking especially handsome this evening… and I don't think I thanked you for the flower you brought me this evening."

"Oh, that little thing…" He rolled his eyes.

"Hey, don't you dare make light of that little thing…" She said, reaching for his hands, she grabbed hold of them in hers and smiled. "It was a very, very sweet gesture… the whole weekend has been a sweet gesture, and I just wanted you to know that I don't think I have ever felt so relaxed as I did this weekend. Thank you." She whispered.

"I don't like to see you stressed out." He replied, giving her hands a little squeeze. "You had been working so hard, you needed a release."

"It appears that you've given me… somewhat of a release." She said, her lip curling a bit as she tried not to smile, though her eyes were already smiling at him.

"Oh, somewhat?" He said, a nervous laugh in his chest as he brought her hands to his lips, placing them back down on the table as he looked up at the waiter approaching with their meal. They both sat back and were served, whereupon the waiter left them to their meal.

They ate in silence, their eyes following one another's eyes, and as soon as she was finished with her meal, she brought her wine glass to her lips and sipped at it as she watched him finish his meal. "Booth?" She whispered, watching him finish the rest of his meal, he tipped his head in question. "Do you… know what we're doing…for… do you…"

"If you're uncomfortable, I can stay at my place ton…"

"No." She interrupted him, her voice a little louder than intended, she blushed as she closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath. "No, I mean… I mean… I'd like it if… if you stayed with me tonight."

"You want me to stay at your place?"

"Is there a problem with that or anything? I mean, I could…"

"No." He chuckled, watching her flustered for a moment. "I have my car… I can stay with you tonight, but only if you want me to."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to stay, Booth… but I don't have a television, or…"

"Bones…" He said with a smile. "When I'm with you, television is the last thing on my mind." He said, watching her cheeks blush once again, and her eyes to avert as she shook her head. "I like to read too, you know."

"Good." She whispered, swallowing hard as she looked to the table shyly. "We um… got that settled and um… out of the way. Now… what do we do after dinner?"

"First… we go to the diner and have pie." He said, waving the waiter over to inform him that they were finished with their dinner. "Then… then we go back to your place and have dessert." He said, watching her jaw drop just a bit, before she gave that sly grin right back to him, a wide eyed smile on her face as he addressed the waiter when he arrived at the table.


	36. Lie Between Us

They pulled up to the diner, and as soon as he put the car into park, she grabbed his hand. "Angela is in there." She whispered, watching his eyes glance to her, and the corner of his mouth to turn up in a slight smile.

"That's fine."

"No, no… Booth, that's not fine. She's going to know."

"First… she's not going to know. Secondly, it doesn't matter if she knows… and third… if you follow my cues, you'll be fine… so just zip it, and play with me."

"Excuse me?" She asked, her eyebrows shooting up in an obviously humored manner. "Did you just tell me to zip it?"

"That I did." He whispered, leaning into her, he came eye to eye. " And what are you going to do about it?" He challenged, watching her glare become a little more pronounced. "What's wrong, Bones… are you chicken?"

"I never understood why poultry was considered to be the spokes animal for fear… you'd think it would be a Chihuahua or something… those dogs are scared of everything." She said, suddenly not affected by the situation, she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed from the SUV quickly.

"See that, Bones…" He said as he walked around the car and bumped his arm into hers. "We can do this…"

"Do what?" She asked, looking over at him as she bumped his arm back. "I'm actually a little mad at you…"

"What do you mean you're mad at me?" He asked as she opened the door and walked into the diner, he almost expected a little bit of over acting, so when she turned around and faced him, he was surprised.

"For referring to me as poultry."

"I didn't call you poultry, I called you chicken." He argued back, confused about where the argument was going, he realized that she was moving effortlessly toward 'their' table, her mind and motion exactly as they always were when they entered the diner, completely focused on him. If she had been overly sensitive to the fact that Angela was in the diner out in the car, she was certainly not acting that way now. Right now, in her mind, the only two people that mattered were she and him, and the way her lips were moving, he couldn't help but have a bit of pride in her heart when she turned to face him.

"Chicken is a type of poultry Booth, you know that. Why do you have to act so dense sometimes?" She said as she settled down in her chair, only now noticing that she was sitting at their table, Angela across from her. "Hey, Ange."

"Well if it isn't my long lost best friend, and her weekend fling." Angela teased.

"Funny, Angela." Booth said, sitting next to their coworker, she moved over a bit and glanced to Brennan, who seemed to have an almost 'deer caught in headlights' look on her face for a split second, before she grabbed the menu from the table.

"What are you doing tonight?" Brennan asked, her eyes on the menu.

"Just grabbing something to eat… wondering where the hell you've been and why you haven't called me."

"I told you, I was writing." She said, continuing to stare at the menu.

"And apparently, you're still distracted." Angela said, pushing the menu down onto the table. "You never look at the menu here… you always have the same thing."

"Maybe I want something different today." She said, glaring at her friend, she brought the menu up to her face again.

Just as she did that, the waitress walked over, and Booth plucked the menu from her hands. "I'll have a slice of cherry pie, and Bones'll have fruit cup, and we'll both have coffee." He said as he handed the menu to the waitress.

"What if I didn't want the fruit cup?" She demanded angrily, as the waitress stood waiting for her to say something more, Brennan looked and smiled. "I will just have the fruit cup though…" She said, glaring at her partner as she turned her attention to Angela. "So what did you do this weekend?"

"Oh, I started a new canvas for that art show that they're doing at the museum… nothing too fancy, but it doesn't involve dead people, so it made my weekend much more enjoyable." Angela said with a smile. "And what was this big assignment that you had, big man?" She said, poking Booth with her hand, he turned and glanced to her as he thanked the waitress for the coffee she put in front of him.

"That, my friend… is on a need to know basis…"

"And let me guess… I don't need to know?" She said, rolling her eyes with a bright smile.

"Actually, I could tell you…"

"But then he'd have to kill you." Brennan finished the sentence as Booth glared at her. "What? You always go with the cliché movie line." She shrugged. "Don't look at me like that." She said, sitting back in her chair, she watched his eyes sparkle just a bit at her. She cleared her throat and sat up, avoiding eye contact with her partner. "So I got a lot of work done this weekend."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She said, as there was a bit of silence before the waitress walked over with their dessert, handing Booth the check, Brennan grabbed it from him.

"Hey." He protested as she shook his head.

"You paid for dinner, I pay for dessert."

"Oh, you'll pay…" He said with a playful glare that made her smile.

"Oh, dinner… where did you two go?"

"A little place…" He started to say, but when Brennan exclaimed 'Thai,' He gave her a glance. "A little place opened near my apartment… Thai…"

"Oh, really?" Angela nodded as Booth and Brennan became very quiet suddenly. "Well… I should probably get going, guys. I'll see you tomorrow, Bren."

"See you, Angela." She said, taking a bite from her fruit salad, she looked up to see Angela drop a friendly kiss on Booth's cheek and give him a pat on the shoulder as she passed him and walked over to the cashier to pay for her dinner.

Booth continued to stare across at his partner as she glanced periodically over to the cashier. When the bell on the door made the sound of her leaving, he leaned closer to her and shook his head. "You totally almost gave us away."

"I did not!" She exclaimed.

"You paid for dinner…" He mocked as she reached across and pushed his shoulder.

"You could have let me answer the question about where we ate… but no, you had to just…"

"Shh… just… eat your fruit and we'll get going." He said, trying not to sound harsh. He wasn't mad at her, but he was a little frustrated that things didn't go as smoothly as he thought they could.

"Do you think she suspects anything?" Brennan asked innocently.

"Angela?" Booth laughed as he took another bite of his pie and chewed it slowly, he laughed and poked at the pie on the plate. "According to Angela, we've been sleeping together for years… She's not going to be the one to worry about when this gets out."

"Who is?" She whispered, watching his eyes as he leaned close to her, shrugging a bit.

"Everyone else." He said, shoving another forkful of pie into his mouth as he settled back in his chair and finished his pie.


	37. I Bet You Say That To All The Guys

The drive to Brennan's apartment was quiet. Part of it was awkwardness, part of it was anticipation, and part of it was that they just didn't know what to say. Booth drove quietly, his focus on the road for the most part, though he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, you okay?"

"I'm fine." She nodded, her eyes falling to his hand as it sit tapping on his leg, and then up to his face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay." He nodded. "I just thought of something though."

"What is that?"

"We have to meet with Sweets tomorrow."

"Right." She nodded.

"It's not going to be a big deal for you, is it?"

"We meet with Sweets every week, Booth."

"Yes… but it's not every week that you and I are sleeping together."

"I wouldn't classify what we have been doing together as… sleeping, exactly."

"You know what I mean." He said, giving her a faux glare that she simply smiled to herself about. "What would you define what we've been doing?"

She turned her head and looked at him, noticing that he had pulled into one of the parking spaces for guests to her building. "I feel like you're trying to trick me."

"Are you saying that you don't trust me?" He asked, his voice serious for once. She could tell that he wasn't joking around.

"Of course I trust you, why would you even ask a question like that?" She asked, her tone quite defensive as she knit her brows in frustration. "I was just saying, that it sounds like you're trying to catch me saying something about our time together that you would disapprove of… just in case I am not taking our time together seriously."

"Do you think about things before you say them, Bones?" He asked, watching her eyes narrow.

"I am always thinking." She said, sighing.

"Then tell me… tell me what you think we were doing in that cabin."

"We were…having…" She watched his facial expression remain blank, his eyes were doing the daring, but his face remained completely blank as he watched her flounder for only a fraction of a second. "I think… I believe, and I felt… like I've never felt before when I was making love to you, Booth."

"When we were making love together." He whispered.

"Yes." She nodded. "When we were sharing our love for one another… together. Booth, I love you." She said in a voice soft and vulnerable.

"You don't sound confident when you say it. You always sound confident, and when you say that… you don't sound like you know it to be true."

"Booth."

"I'm not saying it's bad." He replied, his voice softening, his hand finding hers in the darkness of the car. "I'm just saying that I'm not used to it… and that is kind of scary for me."

"I'm not running from it, Booth. Where would I go? I invited you to my place tonight."

"I'll give you that much." He said, surprised to find her hand on his shirt, pulling him closer to her as she leaned in. Her nose was practically touching his. "Bones." He whispered.

"You'll give it all to me." She said, her eyes burning into his, the look of seriousness made his heart soar, and his fingers tremble. "I want all of it. I love you… and… how you show me what love is. Maybe I'm a little apprehensive, but if that's true, then you're going to have to show me that there is nothing to be afraid of. Do you think you can do that?"

"I can do that." He whispered, his lips following her warm breath to her mouth, his hand moved to the base of her neck, and he heard a deep, throaty moan entering his mouth behind her tongue, her own fingers tracing the buttons on his shirt before she pushed against his chest and broke the contact. "Bones?"

"Why don't we get inside, and you can start the lesson." She tilted her head playfully, she leaned back and grabbed the door handle as she slipped from the car and onto the sidewalk. As she headed toward the door, she heard his door slam and the sound of his feet rushing to catch up with her, his hand swooping down to gather hers within it as they made their way to the apartment.

------------

Once inside, a different kind of awkwardness began to grow. Brennan watched as he stood nervously at the door after they had entered, and she moved toward her bedroom. "Wait." He said, watching her stop to turn around to look at him, he looked like he wanted to say something, or that he was confused. "We're not just going to jump into bed, right?" He asked, watching her eyes lighten up as a smile slid onto her lips.

"Eager?" She asked, her voice purring, and she watched his mouth open and close a couple of times, trying to formulate a response. "I'm going to go get ready for bed." She said, humored by how anxious he looked standing there. "You can make yourself comfortable, or follow me, or… do whatever it is you want to do." She shrugged. "Are you nervous?"

"No." His response was quick and short, and she smiled brighter. "What?"

"It's okay that you're nervous." She said, turning around to head toward the bedroom.

"I said, I'm not nervous." He replied, following after her, she stepped into the bathroom just as he stepped into her bedroom. "Bones?"

"Hm…?" She said, glancing out at him.

"I'm not nervous."

"Okay." She said, turning back into the bathroom, she thought she heard a frustrated sigh. "But if you were." She said, looking up, she jumped when she saw him standing in the doorway, his reflection in the mirror as he watched a streak of fear in her eyes that disappeared when the surprise wore off in a split second, and her lips curled to a playful smile.

"I'm not." He said, moving up behind her, she smiled at him in the mirror as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and watched them both in the mirror. He kissed her cheek, both of their eyes remaining on their reflection. "We make a good pair." He whispered.

"We do." She said, watching a smile appear on his lips as he kept his eyes on hers, and smiled brighter when her smile became brighter.

"I'm going to go wait for you." He said, leaning forward, he kissed her cheek. "Let you get ready for bed."

"Okay." She said, turning in his arms, she looked up at him and smiled. "I love you, Booth." She whispered.

"I bet you say that to all the guys." He teased, dropping a kiss on her nose, he turned around and chuckled to himself as he walked out, hearing her frustrated sigh from behind him, he entered the bedroom and rolled onto the bed, his feet hanging off the end as he closed his eyes and listened to her getting ready.


	38. Lock, Sock, and Barrel

When Brennan walked out of her bathroom, she almost laughed at the sight before her. On her bed, still clothed lay her partner. His feet were hanging off the end of her bed, his brightly colored socks being the first thing she saw as she followed the path up his long legs, his torso, his chest to his arms, which lay spread up above his head, his eyes closed peacefully as he slept, light snores slipping from between his lips as she walked to the end of the bed and rested her hands on his feet.

He didn't move a muscle with her touch, and she was quite surprised that this sniper trained FBI agent hadn't kicked his foot out from under her grasp by now. No, instead he lay on his back, sound asleep on the blankets. She reached her hand slowly up his ankle and beneath his pants, slipping her fingers beneath the top of his sock, she carefully slipped his socks from his feet at the same time. Still, he remained completely still, the soft snores from his lips endearing as she sat down on the floor and slipped his socks onto her own feet, smiling to herself as she looked up onto the bed and smiled brighter.

She stood up and walked out of the bedroom quietly, moving around the apartment she turned off all of the lights and made sure the door was locked, she then went back into the bedroom to see that he had rolled onto his side, his head still a good foot below the pillow on that side of the bed, and his feet still hanging off the bed. She pulled an extra blanket from the closet and shook it out quietly, draping it over his sleeping form, she leaned down and kissed his cheek as she moved around the bed and slipped in beneath her covers. She rolled over and set her alarm, and reached up to turn the lights off as she curled into her side of the bed, listening to the sound of his breathing as he slept soundly in his oddly placed position, until she heard him snort a little, and his soft snoring stopped.

He moved a little and she remained quiet, her eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness, she felt him move a little. "You stole my socks." He said, his voice sounding almost insulted as he moved, rolling onto his back again. "Bones?" He whispered. He lay listening for her to respond, unsure of exactly what time it was or if she had been sleeping long, he tipped to his side and looked up at the clock, noticing that it hadn't been long, and that there was no way she was asleep. "You are so mean to me." He said, when he suddenly heard a stifled giggle. "So mean!" He said, rolling toward the edge of the bed, he felt her hand on his arm.

"Where are you going?" She asked, giggling again as he sighed.

"I am taking my pants off." He said, unzipping and dropping his pants onto the floor, he heard her giggles again and shook his head. "That's exactly what a guy wants to hear when he takes his pants off, his girlfriend giggling."

"I'm not giggling at you, I can't even see you in the dark."

"Oh, you can't even see me?" He said, taking his shirt off, he tossed it beside his pants and climbed into the bed with only his boxers on. "You can't see me, but I bet you can feel my…"

"Ah! Cold feet!" She screeched as she felt his toes touching her leg as she struggled to get away from him, only for him to pull her closer.

"No… no way, you get the cold feet. You stole my socks."

"They're so cold! How do they get so cold so quickly?" She said as she continued to giggle and struggle to get away from him. "Let go of me…" She said with a laugh, feeling his grip tighten on her as he wrapped one of his legs over her and pulled her into him tightly.

"I'm not letting go." He mumbled into her neck. "Never." He growled playfully.

"You'll have to let go eventually. I think if you're still connected to me tomorrow morning that Angela might notice that something is different about me."

"You mean that you have an FBI agent attached to your ass? I thought you always had an FBI agent attached to your ass."

"Yes… yes, I usually do…" She giggled. "But I typically keep him at a good distance, this way it'd be a bit obvious."

"If only we could do our job from this bed." He sighed.

"Booth!" She exclaimed as she laughed, feeling his kiss on her cheek, she listened to his throaty laugh in her ear.

"Come on, Bones. Admit it, it's a good idea."

"Well, before this weekend, I had such problems sleeping that there were nights I didn't want to leave the lab." She said, feeling his arms tighten slightly around her. "Now… I think I'm going to have a problem getting to the lab… and staying there."

"Oh Bones, you say that now… you say it… but do you mean it?" He said with a little growl into her neck as he listened to her giggle.

"I think I mean it." She said as she turned her head, seeing his eyes in the reflection of the moon outside. "I am pretty sure that I mean it… since… I don't lie."

"Mm… you lied to Angela earlier today… about what you did this weekend."

"Stretched the truth, Booth. Sometimes, you have to stretch the truth. A clingy FBI agent told me that once." She said with a giggle.

"Bones?"

"Hm…"

"I love you." He whispered. "And that is the truth."

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"Get your cold feet off my leg… or I'm going to throw you off my bed."

"Oh, Bones… you say it… but do you mean it?" He said, surprised when she pushed back against him and rolled, sending him to his back, she landed on top of him, her hands on his arms as she straddled his body. "Sock thief." He whispered as he reached up and took her face in his hands, bringing her down to his lips for a tender kiss, where their bodies began the long, tender journey in losing themselves in one another once again before they curled together for their first night together in their own reality.


	39. Killer Excuse

The alarm hadn't gone off, and there was no noise or reason for her to awaken, but Brennan's eyes popped open at quarter past five in the morning. Immediately, she noticed something was off, and it took her a second but when she realized that the strong arms that had been around her when she had fallen asleep were no longer wrapped around her, she practically jumped out of her bed. She stared at the sheets for a long couple of seconds, noting the emptiness of the bed and panicked for two reasons. The first reason was that she was alone when she knew she had fallen asleep with Booth wrapped around her, and now he was gone. The second reason she found herself panicking was that she didn't know when she had accepted the fact that he had fallen asleep with her to be considered the normal thing to have occurred, and that the coolness of the other side of the bed made her feel incredibly uncomfortable, not to mention the fact that in her mind just moments ago, she had considered that to be 'his' side of the bed.

Immediately, she started to breathe a bit erratically, staring at the bed, she grabbed his t-shirt from the floor and slipped it over her head, and turned her head for the clock, and after a moment, she heard a clank in the kitchen. With a sharp turn, she walked toward the doorway quickly, trying to calm herself down. The moment she stepped from the bedroom, the scent of coffee invaded her senses and her eyes widened. She walked toward the kitchen, and caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye. "Crap…" He mumbled, setting the second mug onto the counter. "Did I wake you up?"

"No." She said, her eyes still slightly sparkling with concern, he saw it immediately but didn't mention it. "You're up early."

"I should be saying that to you." She said softly, leaning on the doorway, he smiled, watching her stand there wearing only his t-shirt made his body hum with excitement as he kept his attention at the dripping coffee pot.

She watched him stand at the counter, his feet bare, and the only thing he was wearing was his boxer shorts, and it was taking all of the strength that she had not to walk over and run her hands across his body, wrap her arms around him and pull him to her. He turned and reached his hand out, his eyes asking the questions that his mouth dare not. She stepped forward and took his hand, allowing him to pull her into him, she wrapped her arms around him and pushed her chin into his chest as she looked up at him. He rested his chin on her head and gave her a tight squeeze, and he could immediately feel the tension in her body release as she melted into him. "Mmm…" He groaned against her, resting his cheek on her head. "I like this." He whispered.

"I do too." She sighed.

"I was going to bring you some coffee, then I probably should go."

"I guess." She mumbled against his skin, tilting her head so that her ear was resting against his chest, she listened to his heart for several moments.

"Do you want to meet for lunch?" There was a pause, and for a second he wasn't sure that she had heard him, he was about to say something, when he felt her squeeze him a little harder. "Bones?"

"Sorry." She whispered. "I was just thinking about how… morbid it is of me to think about the fact that if there's a case, I could see you earlier."

"Bones…" He chuckled, he took a step back out of her arms and looked into her eyes. "I don't need some sorry soul to die in order to have an excuse to come to the Jeffersonian, you know. I'm sure that I can come up with an excuse."

"Yes." She nodded. "But if you use up all of your excuses, then you won't have any other reasons, and then everyone will know our little secret."

"You think too much."

"So I've heard." She sighed. "Maybe you could kill someone… make it look like an accident." She said, looking up at him to see a surprised look on his face. "Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea either." She said, pushing her face into his chest again, she could feel the laughter from deep in his chest, she laughed a little against his skin.

"Why don't you get back to bed…and I'll bring our coffee in there… and we can lay together before I have to go home to get ready for work."

"Mm…" She groaned against his skin.

"Geez, Bones… I never took you for someone so whiney." He teased as she huffed and turned, starting to stalk toward her bedroom, she felt his hand grasp hers and she turned around to face him, a pout on her face as her eyes narrowed. "I love you." He said, and her only response was her tongue sticking out at him, and a sly grin that made him laugh as she disappeared into the bedroom once again.

-------------

When he walked into the bedroom holding the two mugs, she was lying on her side, her head on her pillow and her eyes staring at the side of the bed he had slept on. He watched her roll onto her back and walked to her side of the bed, where he placed both of the mugs. He crouched down as she rolled to face him. "I'll pick you up for lunch, we'll go to the diner, and then we can go back to the Hoover together for our appointment with Sweets."

"Okay." She said, sitting up, she took the mug. "Thank you."

"Bones…"

"Hmm?" She said, sipping from the mug he gave her a sheepish grin. "I'm going to need my t-shirt and my socks."

He watched the wicked grin slip across her lips and her eyes narrowed a bit. "Walk of shame, my friend… walk of shame…"

"And how do you even know what that is?" He asked her with a raised eyebrow, watching her smile from behind her mug, she tipped her head and watched him sip from his own mug.

"I can give up the t-shirt… but the socks are mine."

"Those are my favorite pair."

"And now, they're my favorite pair." She said, her eyes smiling back at him from over her mug as she sipped her coffee happily, her socked feet wiggling to ensure that her point had made it across.


	40. The 'B' Word

She had said goodbye to Booth, with several kisses before she finally let him out the door to head back to his apartment, and before she even realized it, she was running behind. She drove toward her office at record speed, and was concerned that she might have to use her FBI connections to get her out of a speeding ticket if she wasn't careful. She smiled to herself as she pulled into the parking garage, jumping from her car, she grabbed her bag from the back of the car and rushed quickly toward the elevator. She rode the elevator up to the lab, and whisked in through the sliding glass doors toward her office.

"You're late." Angela called from the platform, her friend looked up at her, the hurried expression on Brennan's face.

"Thanks, Ange." She said, rolling her eyes, she swept into her office and tossed her bag onto the couch, sighing as she moved toward her desk. As soon as she sat down, Angela appeared in the doorway.

"You were late." Angela said again.

"I know I was late." She said, giving her a confused expression.

"You're never late."

"I guess now you can't say that anymore."

"Oh! And you're sarcastic… what's going on with you?"

Brennan looked up, her jaw slightly agape. "Um… nothing, why?"

"You're late and you're sarcastic."

"And you're nosy… at least some things don't change."

"There you go again." She said, approaching her friend's desk, Brennan tried to ignore her, but was suddenly bothered by her friend standing over her desk for the moment.

"What do you need, Ange? I have this report to finish up on that body in storage that we were working on, and…" She looked up to see her friend shaking her head. "Why are you shaking your head?"

"You're acting really strange."

"I've been here for exactly four minutes, and you say I'm acting strange? You're the one standing over my desk giving me the 'I know there is something that you're not telling me' look on your face. What is going on with you?" Brennan said, trying to toss the suspicion off of herself, she watched Angela look almost defensive as she stood up straight and crossed her arms, giving her friend a suspicious glance. "I'm working on something now, you're right… I'm late… I'll make up for it, I always do."

"Yeah, yeah… well, it looks like I'm not getting any information from you."

"There's nothing to get, Ange." She laughed as Angela shook her head and walked toward the door.

"Alright… but don't think for a second that I don't believe you." She said, watching as Brennan ignored her and continued typing. "Maybe we can catch up at lunch or something." She said, still being ignored, Angela rolled her eyes and walked out of the office.

Brennan looked up at the now empty doorway and tried to hide the smirk on her lips, to no avail, and it wasn't helped when her phone gave out a small tune to indicate that she had an incoming text. She glanced at the message on the phone and almost laughed out loud.

_You'd think that being late for work was a crime. LY, B._

She smiled at the message and sighed, the smile remaining on her face as she began her work, hoping that maybe soon, one of them would find an excuse to visit the other, even if there wasn't a dead body involved.

-------------

It didn't take long before her phone rang, his voice on the other end of the line instantly making her smile. "Hey Boots."

"Bones."

"Oh, I thought we had gotten past that nickname."

"What do you want, Booth?"

"You said you wanted a body, we got a body… stuffed in a garbage can, just what the doctor ordered."

"I did not ask for a dead body, Booth."

"I seem to remember this morning, you asking me to kill someone just so…"

"Okay… when will you be here?"

"In two shakes of a…"

"Booth!"

"Ten minutes… meet you out front… bring your ooky bag."

"Bye, Booth."

"Bye, Boots…"

"Bones…"

"Body…"

"Bye."

"Blah…"

She sighed as she flipped her phone closed, grabbed her field bag and made her way quickly through the lab.

"Hey…" Angela called after her friend as Brennan turned around and looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Tell Booth that I said hey…"

"Okay." She said, turning around, she rushed out the door without another word, leaving Angela to roll her eyes at her friends retreating form.

"She's hopeless…" Angela whispered with a laugh, shaking her head as she turned around toward her office.


	41. Stepping Stone

Brennan stepped into the front of the building where Booth usually pulled up to pick her up, and she smiled a little when she saw the SUV nearing her. He pulled up right alongside her and she opened the door and hopped in. He gave her a friendly smile and handed the file over to her as they conversed about the body for several minutes. It was familiar and right, and it felt good to get right down to business. "So, stuffed in a trash can?"

"It looks like it had been there for quite a while. Not much meaty parts left on it."

"Did you call Cam too? I didn't see her when I left."

"She was on her way in. I called her and let her know to send the truck, though FBI techs are there now."

"So this trash can is in the woods?"

"It's one of those little campground, picnic areas… it isn't used much, and the person that dumped the body probably knew that."

"Which means they're probably familiar with the area, and may have been seen around there in the past."

"Good work there, Bones…" He said smiling as he continued to drive. "How has your morning been?"

"Not too bad." She nodded. "Angela said I've been acting weird."

"Have you?" He asked, his eyebrows rose as her eyes narrowed. "You have, haven't you? You know, Bones… you're not any good at keeping secrets."

"Are we almost there?" She sighed.

"Oh, Bones… avoidance…" He said, watching her glare, he gave her an innocent glance, and then went back to driving silently.

They arrived at the crime scene about ten minutes later, and Booth climbed from his side, glancing over at Brennan, who was making sure she had everything in her bag. She looked over at him and nodded, and followed after him as he led her toward the group of FBI techs that were scouring the scene carefully.

"Booth, Doctor Brennan?" One of the techs said, approaching them. Brennan nodded her head, and the man went on a quick description of how the body was found and where, and led Brennan to the body while Booth went in search of the witness, to question them.

The whole process was normal and natural, and it felt good to be able to do their job, and know that there was just a little something extra that they could look forward to later. It was as if an extra level of tension was stripped away, and it almost made the morning a bit surreal for both of them. They seemed more relaxed then they had ever been before, and when Cam arrived on the scene, she was quietly taken aback by this new level of non verbal communication that seemed to be occurring between the two of them. She walked up to Booth as he stood beside Brennan, and she watched as he took down notes quietly as she spoke instead of asking questions and making jokes like he usually did. He seemed so relaxed, so unconcerned, so different, that Cam could sense that something had changed between the partners, but not knowing any details, she couldn't even begin to guess what it was.

"Alright, Bones… are we ready to get this back to the Jeffersonian?"

"I think there isn't much more here to go on from here. Cam, do you have anything to add to the preliminary findings?" She asked, looking up at her supervisor curiously, any sign of worry lines or tension was nonexistent in the anthropologist's face, and Cam took a second to respond. "Cam?"

"Oh! Huh? Oh… yeah… um, yeah… I don't think there is much more to go on here." She nodded definitively. She stood up and followed Booth as he walked away from Brennan, his hand scribbling furiously in his small notebook, she glanced back to Brennan and to her friend. "Booth?"

"What?" He said, rather abruptly, as if his train of thought had been interrupted, though he kept writing.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, why?" He asked, looking up at Cam, his eyebrow rose curiously.

"Nothing." He shook his head. "I just… I was just wondering, you seem a little preoccupied."

"Nope, I'm fine."

"Alright…" She said, nodding as he continued to write in his notebook and then put his pen in his pocket and flipped it closed, he looked over to Brennan, who looked up at him and pulled her gloves off. "Okay then, Bones… let's get going." He said, watching Cam look at him with a confused glance. "What? She said she was ready."

"She didn't say anything, Booth."

"Okay…" He said, giving Cam a confused look as Brennan walked past them, and Booth's hand found the small of her back, as they walked back toward the SUV together, leaving Cam standing back watching them. He watched as Booth leaned down to whisper something in her ear, and for a split second thought that they were going to kiss. She watched Brennan's face light up with whatever he said, and she laughed a genuine laugh, something that Cam couldn't remember the last time she had seen from Doctor Brennan. With that, they separated, Booth to the driver's seat, and Doctor Brennan to the passenger seat, as they climbed into the SUV and were on their way.

-------------

They were in the car and back to being silent, as Brennan began to write a few things into the file. She noticed that her partner was watching her, and she glanced to him out of the corner of her eye. "You're keeping a pretty close watch on me." She said, her eyebrow rising as she watched him look back to the road.

"Well… since this morning, when you made that suggestion…"

"Are you suggesting that I was the one to kill this gentleman?" She asked, her eyes on the paper in front of her as she continued to write several notes.

"I heard what you said this morning, Bones… it was very telling."

"Really? You are aware that I was joking around, right?" She asked, arching her eyebrow in his direction. "For… if I were to have killed this man and stuffed his body in the trash can, I would have had to know that you and I were going to become intimate, and at the time of this man's murder… which was… based on the amount of decomposition, about six months."

"Are you saying you didn't have the hots for me six months ago?" He asked nonchalantly.

"Booth, what I have for you would not be described as 'the hots'. If I were to describe it as something, it would be more of an infatuation or a 'passing fancy'." She teased, moving back to her notes.

"So I'm just another notch on your bedpost?"

"Sure." She nodded, the smile on her face giving away how incredibly humored she was.

"Just another step on the ole ladder, huh?"

"You've got it…"

"Just another…"

"Yes… you're just another… bone in the body…" She said, giving him a confused look as he laughed a little. "Okay, so that didn't quite sound right…"

"Sounds about right to me…" He said, shaking his head as he laughed, watching her smile and shake her head as she continued writing. "I'll drop you off at the lab… pick you back up at noon, okay?"

"Sounds good." She said, nodding her head as they drove in silence once again, the level of comfort was at an all time high, and he watched her for a second, giving her a smile. "What?"

"You look nice today." He said, watching a slight blush rise to her cheeks.

"Thank you." She said, glancing out the window as he pulled up to the front of the Jeffersonian. "I'll see you at noon."

"Noon." He nodded, suddenly feeling her hand on his.

"I love you." She whispered, watching his smile brighten. "Don't look so surprised." She said, stepping out of the car, she closed the door behind her and watched him grin as she shook her head and walked away, rolling her eyes as she laughed and headed back into the building.


	42. Meals on Wheels

When noon rolled around, Brennan left her office just as the body arrived. She glanced to the evidence coming into the lab, and to the door as she tried to decide which she was going to tend to first. Just as she was about to turn toward the platform, her phone made a sound indicating that there was a text message. She lifted her phone and looked at the words, smiling.

_It will be there when you get back_

She shook her head, wondering how he knew that the body was being delivered, but then just figured that he knew she was doing something, and that something would be there when lunch was finished. She turned back toward the door, glancing back to the platform, where one of her interns was glancing over at her. "Catalog everything that came in… I'll be back in about an hour." She said, watching the intern nod their head as she disappeared out of the lab doors.

She thought she was in the clear, until she heard the clacking of heels on the floor behind her, and her friend's voice calling out to her. "Bren, wait a minute!" She called as Brennan pushed the elevator button again just as the door opened and she started to step inside, Angela grabbed her friend's arm.

"Angela, you scared me." She said, backing out of the elevator into the hallway, she glared at her friend.

"Where the hell are you running off to? The body just came in."

"It'll be here when I get back." She said, reiterating the text message, she watched her friend's surprised glance.

"You have never, ever passed up on a fresh case."

"Well, I guess things are changing. Hodgins can work on the insects, my interns are perfectly capable of cataloging the remains and the items that came with it… I'll be gone an hour, its not a big deal, Ange." She sighed.

"You are acting very, very strange."

"No… I'm acting normal… I'm acting like someone who has lunch plans."

"You're acting like someone in a relationship." Angela said with her eyebrows raised as Brennan stepped into the elevator.

"Huh…" She said with raised eyebrows, the subtlety not so subtle as Angela's eyebrows raised, and her eyes widened. "How about that…" She said, pressing the button on the elevator, she watched Angela's jaw drop as the doors closed and Brennan waved to her friend as the doors closed. She rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger as the elevator doors opened on the lobby floor and she walked through the lobby quickly toward the front doors where she could see the black SUV waiting for her. She gave a quick smile through the tinted window and opened the door the SUV.

"Hey, it's about time, Bones. Did you get lost?" He asked, watching the almost distressed look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, why would something be wrong? I didn't say something was wrong, did I?"

"You look like someone just told you that your goldfish was eaten by your cat."

"I don't own a cat or a goldfish." She replied, giving him a confused expression, watching as he pulled out into traffic.

"Bones."

"I may… have indicated to Angela that what you and I have… between us, may be more than just… a partnership." She nodded.

"You what?" He asked, slamming his foot down on the brake pedal, he glanced to her as she glared, catching herself as she jerked forward from the force as he pulled over. They had only made it about a block, but for some reason, he felt he needed to pull over to have this conversation.

"Nevermind." She said, nodding. "Just… let's go to lunch now." She nodded toward the window, refusing to look in his direction.

"We can't just go to lunch now. Angela knows? What did you say? Why? Why would you say something, Bones?"

Brennan gave him a confused look, almost hurt, and he wasn't exactly sure how to respond. "Because it's my life, and if I want my best friend to know that I'm involved in a relationship with someone, then it's my prerogative." She said flatly.

"Yes, but you and I agreed, that we weren't going to blab about this, and telling Angela is worse than blabbing about it, it's like putting a full page advertisement in the Washington Post! It was not a good move, Bones… not a good move at all! It was a stupid move!" He exclaimed.

"Fine." She said with a nod, promptly reaching over to unbuckle her seatbelt.

"What are you doing?" He asked, watching the stern look on her face as she reached for the door handle.

"I'm going back to work." She said, opening the door. "I don't want to make any more stupid moves." She said with a definitive nod.

"Bones."

"No." She said, standing on the sidewalk beside the SUV. "You're right… I shouldn't have told Angela anything… because I guess there's just nothing more to tell. And don't come to the lab unless it's case related!" She said, slamming the door, she started to march away from the car, leaving Booth calling after her as she disappeared down the sidewalk back toward the Jeffersonian.

---------

She stomped down the sidewalk and turned away from the road and toward an alley that she knew she could cut through to get to the Jeffersonian. She had heard him calling after her, and heard him honk the horn once to get her attention, but she was not in the mood to deal with it anymore. She walked toward the front of the building and got into the service elevator on the bottom floor of the museum, taking it directly to the floor of the lab.

She got out of the elevator and walked down the hallway, swiping her card at the door of the lab, she walked in and made her way toward her office. "Bren?" Angela said as she watched her friend stomp angrily toward her office. "I thought you were going to lunch."

"Lunch was cancelled." She said, noticing the confused look on her friend's face as she stepped into her office and slammed the door behind her. She sat angrily in her chair and pulled the vibrating phone from her pocket, turning the ring onto silent as she watched the message light blink. She pulled up the information for the new case onto her computer and began to work diligently, ignoring the ever blinking light on the phone beside her.


	43. Mass Speculation

When Booth walked into the lab later that day, he didn't look upset or angry, and he wasn't rushed. He stepped up the platform steps and swiped his card, finding Brennan bent over the body thoughtfully running her fingers over the exposed bone.

"So, you got an ID, yet?" He asked, noting the steely glare coming from the woman on the platform.

"No." She said, standing up straight, she flicked off her gloves and tossed them into the trash as she walked in the opposite direction and down the steps of the platform toward her office. Booth stood watching after her, and felt a nudge in his side. He glanced to his left and noted the curious expression on Angela's face.

"What do you think has gotten her latex gloves all bunched up?" She asked watching for a reaction from Booth.

"I don't know." He said, glaring toward her office.

"Well… she had a lunch date that seemed to have soured… you know anything about that?"

"No." He said, glancing at the body. "Did we get anything on the body yet? Where is Hodgins? Why hasn't there been a reconstruction yet?" He asked, walking around the body, he watched Angela's eyebrow rise once again.

"Both of you are in need of an attitude adjustment, it appears."

"Listen, Ange… What Bones does in her spare time, is her business, not yours, not mine, okay? So just… butt out."

"Oh…" Angela smirked as she nodded her head and walked toward the steps of the platform. "I see how it is… she's got a guy in her life, doesn't she… she's got a guy in her life, and you're playing the jealous partner. It's cute." Angela nodded.

"Just leave her alone, Angela, okay? She's… told me a lot of stuff in the past couple of days, and the last thing she needs is to be picked on, picked at, pissed off, or poked around for information. When she's ready to tell you something, she'll tell you something."

"It's just strange." Angela shrugged. "She was gone all weekend, you were gone all weekend… and then she has this lunch arrangement… comes back not ten minutes later… angry at the world, and then you come in here, and she takes off again."

"It's a coincidence."

"If there's one thing I've learned from working murder cases, Booth… it's that there is no such thing as coincidences." She said, walking away from him.

"Just leave her alone, Angela." Booth replied, his voice a bit deeper than he had meant for it to be, when he heard the clacking of shoes on the platform behind him.

"So what are you yelling at my people about now, Seeley?" Cam asked as he rolled his eyes and turned to face her.

"I didn't yell… yet." He replied.

"Well, what are you doing here? Doctor Brennan said… quite clearly that you weren't going to be around today."

"Oh, she did, did she?" He said as he glared toward her office. "Well, I think it's time that Doctor Brennan and I had a little chat." He said, turning around, he stomped down the platform steps and made his way toward her office.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Angela walked up behind Cam and sighed. "I can't figure out if they're doing each other… or each doing someone else and just pissed off at one another about it." She whispered.

"Well… it could go either way…" Cam said, watching Booth slam his fist on the door angrily as he called for her to answer. After a moment, the door opened and Booth put his foot inside to block the door from closing. There were several hushed, angry words passed between the two of them, and his foot retreated from the door, her door slamming in his face, and he stood staring at it for a moment.

"I'm going with the theory that they're doing it…" Angela whispered to Cam.

"I don't know… how could you resist an angry FBI agent banging on your office door?" She whispered back.

"She's been doing it for years…" Angela whispered back as Booth came storming across the lab, noticing the two women standing on the platform watching him.

"Why don't you two stop gossiping, and just do your jobs? I need an ID on that body sometime this century." He said angrily as he stormed across the lab and out the door without another word.

Cam and Angela's eyebrows rose as they looked at one another, and noted that Brennan was walking toward them. She glanced over at her intern sitting at one of the desks on the platform, scanned her card and walked toward the body. "You can clean the bones now… get the skull to Angela for reconstruction. I have to go run a couple of errands… it's going to be a long night." She said, walking past Angela and Cam without another word, she stepped off the other side of the platform and pulled off her lab coat as she walked briskly toward the exit, letting her hair down as she made her way out of the glass doors and out of the lab.


	44. Angry Sex

It wasn't five minutes from when he had closed his apartment door, that he heard the impatient knocking. The conversation at her door had consisted of him telling her that they needed to talk in a much more personal setting, and that he was going back to his place for an hour or so, and that he recommended that she join him for a conversation that wouldn't involve the prying eyes of their coworkers.

He walked over to the door from where he had been pacing and pulled open the door, finding himself staring into the angry eyes of his partner. She said nothing, just simply stared into his eyes, her own eyes narrowed with intense irritation, her arms crossed angrily over her chest.

He wanted to tell her to stop the third degree and just step into the apartment already, but without a word, she stepped into the apartment. She never took her eyes off him, walking around him with a glare that would have caused a weaker man's testicles to crawl up into his body in retreat.

Seeley Booth didn't give in on a challenge like this, and especially not one from Temperance Brennan. No, instead he followed her with his eyes, swinging the door closed without a second glance, he maintained full and complete eye contact with her. He knew that he had been wrong, he knew that he shouldn't have said what he said in the car, and she knew that she should never have walked away from him. His first instinct was to ask her what her problem was, or try to figure out what she was thinking, but this was different. He could see every single thought that ran through her mind, her eyes were like a stock ticker in Times Square. She said nothing, her jaw clenching and unclenching at a regular interval, his eyes just catching the subtle movement.

He crossed his arms in defense, his hands grabbing hold of his opposite arms just above the elbows, and his eyes narrowed in challenge as she took a step back. As soon as she took that step back, she realized her folly, and regained that step, and then some, her body language relaxing as she fell into the trap that she frequently did upon sensing his testosterone driven reactions. She was just about to say something to him, when he closed the gap between them with both his lips and his body. The first nanosecond was one of protest, but after that it was a struggle for dominance in the kiss. He pushed her backwards, her fingernails digging into his neck as he slammed her back into the wall, sending a small framed photo smashing unnoticed to the floor. Before either of them could take a breath, her hands were pulling his suit jacket from his shoulders, sending it unceremoniously to the floor as he fumbled with each and every one of the buttons on her blouse.

"Just rip it off." She gasped against his mouth as he chuckled against hers.

"Not a good idea…" He gasped back, finishing the last button to pull her shirt off her shoulders, she popped one of the buttons off his shirt as he growled against her.

"I don't care." She whispered as she pushed him, sending him tumbling backwards and over the arm of his couch, she could feel her effect on him quite readily through his suit pants, and he could sense that he wasn't the only one, especially by the way her teeth grazed his lip and from the cloudy lust filled look in her eye, not to mention the way she was grinding her body into him. "I am so angry at you right now." She growled.

"You're angry at me? I'm angry at you!" He exclaimed, rolling them off the couch, they tumbled to the floor where he ended up landing on top of her hard, their lust filled romp continuing as their hands moved over skin and each moaned out the other's names in between growls of anger.

"You have no right to be angry at me! She's going to find out sooner or later, she may as well find out today!"

"We haven't talked about it." He kissed her neck, sending her back arching, her body lifting into him. "We need to talk about it, and you walked away from me… don't you ever walk away from me." He said, sucking the skin on her neck until she squeaked. "Tell me you will never walk away from me." He growled, nibbling her ear. "Tell me right now… tell me now, or this is the last time this happens…" He whispered.

"I'm going to slap you." She said with a snarl, grabbing a handful of hair, she pulled his head back and assaulted his mouth with her lips. "How dare you threaten me?"

"Oh, I dared, Temperance… I dared…" He said, a slow, smile spreading on his lips as she shook her head and glared at me.

"I'm getting up." She whispered, breathless.

"We're talking." He said, holding her tightly in his arms, he refused to let her up.

"We aren't talking… this isn't talking… we're assaulting one another… sexually… we're threatening one another, and we can't do this." She whispered.

"Then talk to me." He replied. "Talk to me now, and we can finish this, later."

"You made me angry." She whispered, pushing at him, he rolled to his side. "You didn't have to call me stupid."

"I'm sorry I overreacted… I told you at the office I was sorry. You wouldn't answer your phone, you walked away, Bones… I am sorry that I reacted the way I did…"

"Is this the way it's going to be?" She asked. "I can't keep this from Angela for very long, she's going to figure it out eventually on her own… especially when I go back to the lab with sex hair…"

"Hey, I'm a big fan of sex hair… if I'm the… one that caused it, I guess." He said, leaning forward to kiss her softly. "I'm sorry I over reacted, I'm sorry I was impatient with you coming out for lunch… and I'm sorry that you had a reason to call me a Neanderthal knuckle dragging caveman… which… I thought was a totally inappropriate work place moniker."

"If the club fits." She replied with a snarky tone.

"Oh… Bones is getting feisty…"

"I'm sorry too… for walking away." She whispered. "I'm going to… try working on it." She said, watching his eyes sparkle into hers, he watched the mischievous sparkle reappear in her eyes. "Let's just finish our make up sex… so I can get back to the lab…" She said, tipping her head curiously.

"For the record… that was not make up sex… that was angry sex… and this… this is make up sex." He whispered, leaning forward for a tender, needful kiss. She heard him groan into her mouth and she wrapped her arms around him securely, pulling him to her.

"Mmm… I like this much better." She whispered into his mouth, he chuckled and returned her kiss with more passion as they continued what they had started moments before at a much more loving, and much more understanding filled pace.


	45. Wicked Hickey Savvy

When Brennan walked into the lab over an hour later, she walked confidently toward her office, the bit of a smile on her face was noticed by several people who remained quiet as they realized that she was humming a soft tune as she slipped her lab coat on her arms and buttoned it up quickly and held the door frame as she swung nonchalantly into Angela's office. "Did you get a chance to get the reconstruction done?"

"I think your intern was about to get me the skull." She said, looking up to see her friend standing only halfway in the office, her hair was a bit tousled, and if Angela tilted her head just slightly, she could smell the faint scent of men's cologne wafting in the doorway from her friend.

"Mmm… kay, I'm going to go see if Hodgins got anything on the insects or particulates." She said as she turned around, suddenly she heard Angela let out an almost scream that stopped her in her tracks.

"Temperance Brennan, get your ass back in here now!" She exclaimed as Brennan considered running, but knew that she was no match for her friend's long legs or impeccable aim with thrown objects. She turned around and poked her head in her friend's office again. "What is that on your neck?"

"What?" She asked, reaching her hand exactly where she knew she'd find a tender spot. She cursed Booth under her breath and sucked in a lungful of air.

"It's nothing." She said with a cringe. "It's a contusion… it's… a…"

"It's a hickey, Bren." Angela said, approaching her friend.

"I have to go check on the particulates."

"You have a man that you're hiding from me." She said with a big grin, and immediately noticed that Temperance was trying to hide the smile on her face. "Oh, Brennan… you got ticked off at Booth, so you went and found your man and did the nasty to let off some steam… that is just… wrong." She said, though the smile never left her face.

"I…just…I… is it that noticeable?" She asked, rubbing her neck self consciously.

"It's only noticeable to the naked eye, sweetie… what was this man doing to you?" She said, reaching over to touch her friend's neck, she got a strong whiff of the cologne that she was trying to hide, and though it was familiar, she couldn't quite place it. "So Booth knows you got a guy and is pretty jealous, huh? That's why he's been so rough around the edges lately? You had dinner with him last night, didn't he know you had spent the whole weekend playing games with some guy in a hotel room?"

"Ange… Booth… Booth doesn't need to know anything, okay?" She stammered nervously as Angela nodded her head. "He knows there's a guy, that's all he needs to know. He's… just overprotective, you know that."

"Got it… but if we don't get some makeup on that mark… he's going to figure it out." She said, nodding toward her office. "Come on… let's do a little cover up so that partner of yours doesn't go crazy when he sees that mark…" She said, grabbing her friend's hand, she pulled her into the office. "Who were you supposed to have lunch with this afternoon? This mystery guy?"

"Uh… yeah, and he… he cancelled, so I was upset about that… the thing with Booth was completely unrelated to the lunch thing." Brennan babbled as Angela just nodded and listened.

"Well, I'm going to have to meet this guy, Bren… he sounds like he's quite the animal in bed… if you're rushing off from the lab during an investigation… and having revenge sex in the middle of the afternoon."

"It wasn't revenge sex." She said with a nervous stammer, her lies all sounded so one dimensional to her, that she wasn't sure what Angela believed, but from what she could tell, her friend was eating up each and every word. "It was just… sorry for missing lunch, sex… I guess." She mumbled, shrugging as Angela just simply smiled and pulled out her makeup bag, in preparation to help her friend hide the marks of her mysterious man.


	46. Moulin Ruse

Brennan sat in her office and glanced at the clock, noting that it was a little after six in the afternoon. She had left Angela to the facial reconstruction and knew that with all of the tissue markers needing to be set, and the bones needing to be cleaned that it was going to be at least another twelve hours before they got an identification on their victim. She sat at her desk typing up some preliminary findings, when she heard a light knocking at the door, and when she looked up, she couldn't hide the smile that had crept up onto her face. "What do you want?" She asked, crossing her arms on her desk, she watched as he crossed his arms and stood against the doorway.

"Did they get an ID yet?"

"Not yet." She said, looking back at her computer, she lifted her hands and began to type.

"When do you think they'll be able to?" He asked, continuing his vigil at her door.

"Probably tomorrow… are you just going to stand in the doorway all day, or are you going to come inside?"

"Where is the squint squad?" He asked, keeping his voice low.

"Angela is putting tissue markers on the skull, Hodgins is analyzing the clothing that the victim was wearing… Cam is… I don't know where everyone is, it isn't my responsibility to keep tags on them…"

"It's tabs, Bones… keep tabs…" He said, taking a step into the office. "Is it safe to come inside?"

"Yes." She nodded toward the chair across from her desk, and took her focus off the computer, crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned back in her chair. "So you just came over to check on the case?"

"Yeah."

"Any other reason?"

"How did everything go with…"

"You left a hickey on my neck, Booth." She whispered, leaning forward, she watched a smile spread on his face. "You knew?"

"What? A guy doesn't mark his territory by peeing on stuff, that's just gross…"

"Booth!" She exclaimed.

"Besides… you should see the damn scratch marks you left on the back of my neck. I may have to have stitches…" He said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Oh, it's not that bad… I barely grazed you…" She said with raised eyebrows as she smiled suggestively. "Angela thinks that I'm having revenge sex."

"Revenge of who?"

"You… she thinks you made me angry about something, so I ran off and found my mysterious man to get out all of my sexual tension."

"That is… exactly what you did." He said, raising his eyebrows. "The only thing she doesn't know, is that the object of your revenge… was also your target for your relief." He teased.

"Stop looking at me like that." She whispered.

"Why?" He asked, tipping his head, he watched her tongue dart out and wet her lower lip.

"You're making me want to get more revenge." She said, her attention moving to the doorway as she saw some movement of someone coming closer to the office. Booth turned to see Angela strolling up to the doorway, she stepped inside warily.

"Did you guys kiss and make up?" She asked playfully as Brennan raised her eyebrows.

"Did you get anything yet, Angela?" She asked, completely ignoring the question.

"Tissue markers are almost done… I was going to go out and get something to eat, come back for an hour or so after dinner to finish up. Did you want to go grab something to eat?"

"Oh… I was just going to stick around here for a little while, see if Hodgins came up with anything… you can go on ahead." Brennan said with a polite smile.

"Booth?" Angela asked, giving him a friendly tip of the head as she watched him exchange glances with his partner.

"Sure…" He said with a nod. "I'll grab dinner with you, and we can bring something for Bones here if she's not too busy tonight to eat." He said, giving her a faux glare that she caught the hint of playfulness in.

"I actually have plans tonight." She said, focusing her attention on the computer, Booth noticed Angela's attention go to him as he clenched his fist and set his jaw. Brennan gave him a couple of silent points for the steely glare he gave her.

"Whatever, Bones." He said, turning to walk out of the office, Angela hung back for a second and caught her friend's eye. Brennan rolled her eyes and Angela sighed.

"I'll take care of the big man…" She said with a grin, following Booth out of the office.


	47. Dude, Sweets

Booth was just walking into the diner with Angela when his phone rang. He glanced at the number and gave Angela a wave of his finger to indicate that he needed a second. He flipped open his phone. "Booth." He said.

"Agent Booth… Doctor Sweets."

"Hey, Sweets."

"Did you and Doctor Brennan forget something today?"

"Um..." He said, thinking for a moment, his jaw dropped. "Crap! Man, Sweets! We had a case this morning and we completely forgot!"

"It's good to know that I'm so highly regarded between the two of you." Sweets said sarcastically.

"Can we reschedule for tomorrow morning? First thing…"

"First thing?"

"Yes!"

"Do you want me to call you to remind you?"

"No… no, first thing. I'll call Bones right now and let her know." He said, sending Angela an apologetic look. She rolled her eyes and walked over toward the usual table. He flipped the phone closed and indicated that he would be outside to make a phone call, and she nodded and pointed to the menu indicating that she would get his usual. He nodded and walked outside. He pressed number one on his speed dial and waited a second.

"What's wrong, Booth… you can't go ten minutes without hearing my sexy voice?" She asked in a whisper, laughing when she heard his breath hitch.

"You better watch it, Bones. What if Angela grabbed my phone and called you?"

"Right… she does that." Brennan said with disbelief in her voice. "What are you bugging me for, Booth?"

"Sweets."

"You want candy?"

"No, Bones… Sweets… we forgot to go see Sweets today! Geez, Bones!" He exclaimed, irritated by her response, he sighed when he heard her hum an 'oh', on the other end of the line.

"Okay…" She said, unsure of exactly what he was getting at.

"I made an appointment for tomorrow morning… first thing."

"First thing." She said, he pictured her nodding and writing it on her calendar on her desk. "Are you at the diner?"

"Yeah… outside, Angela is probably watching me like a hawk."

"I'm not absolutely certain, but she may be able to read lips." Brennan said as Booth looked over to the diner and saw Angela watching him. He wiggled his fingers in an apologetic wave, and then turned so he wasn't facing her anymore.

"Well, thanks for that little tidbit of information. I should go… I'll meet you at your place at eight, okay?"

"I kind of liked your place this afternoon… maybe we could watch a movie."

"Fine, whatever, Bones… my place… eight… I'll see you then."

"There's no need to get snappy…"

"Snippy, Bones… snippy…" He sighed.

"Snippy, snappy… whatever… I will talk to you later."

"Yeah… I love you." He whispered into the line, turning around, he tipped his head back and waited for a moment.

"I love you." She said into the line, sighing with a little smile as she hung up the phone.

Booth smiled when he heard her words, hanging the phone up, he slipped the phone in his pocket and walked back toward the diner, he opened the door and walked inside, noting that Angela was now looking at the counter, a slight smile on her face as she tilted her head at Booth. "Sorry about that." He said, sitting down across from Angela, she shrugged.

"It's fine… so you guys forgot your appointment with Sweets, huh?"

"Yeah… we usually have it on Wednesday, but he was busy, so we were going to have it today. It's fine though, we'll be there first thing tomorrow. Did you order?"

"Yeah." She said, watching him closely for a second, her eyes were narrowed as he tilted his head and looked at her suspiciously.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" She asked, a smile slipping onto her lips as he crossed his arms on the table and gave her a conspiratorial glare.

"Like you just started an art piece, and you're thinking of whether or not to put it in the kiln or not."

"Are you saying that I'm about to put you in the hot seat?" She asked with a brightening grin.

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Tell me about this thing with Bren."

"What thing?"

"The boyfriend thing. I know she's at least told you more than she's told me…"

"What has she told you?" He asked, watching her suspiciously.

"Just that she started seeing him last week… that she spent the weekend at his place in the mountains… and that he is very, very hot, super romantic… and apparently quite good in the sack."

"See, Angela? This is why I don't talk about this stuff with Bones… it makes me feel really…"

"Jealous?"

"Uncomfortable." He replied. "Besides." He said, a slight smile slipping onto his lips. "She has no reason to think I'm the one that's jealous… she's jealous of the woman that I have been seeing."

"Wait! You're saying that our Brennan isn't the only one that's getting some?"

"That's right." He said with a big, bright grin.

"So all of this yelling and slamming, and lack of talking between you and Brennan is because you're both dating someone?"

"It's just a little awkward right now… we're just… testing our boundaries, and stuff, you know…"

"You're both dating someone…?"

"Yes…"

"And you're happy?"

"Look at these…" He said, pulling at his collar, she could see the scratches on his neck, he watched her eyes widen and her grin widened as well. "Do those look like the symbol of an unhappy relationship?"

"My God, Booth… are you dating a woman or a tiger?" She said, laughing fully at his smarmy grin.

"You've got nothing to worry about, Ange… Bones and I will figure things out."

"I'm just a little disappointed…" She said, though the smile never left her lips.

"Why is that?"

"Because I always figured that you and Bren would fall together." She said with a shrug as Booth chuckled.

"Well, Ange… everything happens in its own time… and sometimes things work out… sometimes things don't." He shrugged as he looked up, their meals being set down on the table, he gave her a smile as he thanked the waitress, and the two of them slipped into a companionable silence while they ate.


	48. All is Fair in Fake Love and Dinner

It was quarter after eight, and Booth was sitting on the couch lounging when there was a light tapping on the door. "Door is unlocked, Bones." He said, waiting for her to come in, he glanced over and smiled at her form entering the apartment, a bag slung over her shoulder. "What have you got there?"

"Clothes… for tomorrow… toiletries…" She shrugged. "You know, you shouldn't leave your door unlocked, just anyone could come in here." She said, kicking off her shoes.

"I'm right here, Bones. No one is going to just come in." He said, watching her lock the door behind her, she kicked her bag onto the floor and walked toward the couch, sitting down beside him, she lay her head on his shoulder as he pulled her into him and kissed her head.

"I think it is sweet that you brought your stuff over here… you're like a little boy scout." He whispered into her hair.

"I don't know what that means."

"You're always prepared." He said with a proud smile, he could practically hear her eyes roll at his comment. "Did you see Angela after she and I had dinner."

"Yeah, but only for a second, I was on my way out… do you have any idea why she offered her condolences?" Brennan asked with a curious glance to Booth, she watched his eyes completely avoid hers, and her jaw dropped. "Booth, what did you say to her?" She asked, moving away from him, she rested her back against the arm of the couch and her feet on his leg. "Booth!" She exclaimed, kicking his leg sharply, he grabbed her foot.

"Ow! Bones!" He exclaimed. "You have very boney feet!"

"What did you tell her?"

"I… corroborated your mystery man lie… and I may have… added an embellishment of my own." He nodded, softly, with a slight cringe in his voice.

"What did you tell her?" She asked again, this time, her voice deeper and a bit more threatening.

"I may have… said that I had a girlfriend now."

"Booth!" She exclaimed, lifting her foot, he grabbed it before she could do any damage. "No more kicking! It's wouldnt be fair for you to get a fake boyfriend, but I don't get a fake girlfriend… it's only fair that we each get our own fake relationships."

"Fine… but what if she starts asking questions? What if someone else asks questions… what if we get caught?"

"I don't know… do we have any kind of… Angela defense shield?" He asked, watching her confused glance, he shook his head. "Don't worry about it… we'll come up with a good back story, and it'll be like we're undercover." He said with a smile. "You like when we're undercover, right?"

"I like when we're under… covers…" She said as she rolled closer to him, kicking her feet into the opposite direction, he smiled down as she lay her head in his lap and looked up at him.

He smiled down at her and tangled his hand softly in her hair, watching her eyes sparkle up at him. "All I've wanted to do all day is tell you how beautiful you are." He whispered.

"You can say it now." She said, raising her eyebrows, her blue eyes sparkling.

"You're beautiful." He said definitively.

"Thank you." She whispered. "Booth?"

"Hmm…?" He whispered, continuing to run his fingers through her hair, he waited for her reply. "They will find out."

"I know."

"I mean… they're scientists… they see evidence of things, they investigate… they're going to figure it out."

"I know."

"Why does it have to be a secret?"

"Don't you like having a little bit of mystery in your life? A little bit of privacy… can go a long way…"

"I do like this." She whispered.

"Also… I'm not exactly sure how it is going to affect our working relationship."

"How do you mean?" She asked, her forehead wrinkling as she concentrated on his face for a moment. "You don't think we'll work together well because we're sleeping together? I don't think it would be possible for you to be more protective of me… and sleeping together, we'll spend more time together than we ever had before… if that were actually physically possible…" She said aloud, half to herself, half to him, her eyes flashed up to him and a new level of concern reached her eyes. "You mean you're worried that they'll separate us."

"Think about all that they have gone through to keep us apart so far, Bones. There is someone that wants to keep us out in the field together, someone who thinks that a physical relationship and a working relationship cannot work together. Our personal lives have always been ours in the past… there is no reason we can't keep this portion of our personal life quiet."

"Booth?" She said, looking up at him, she watched the wrinkles in his brow as he looked down at her, the concern in his eyes was obvious. "Stop worrying so much."

"Do you have any alternatives for what I could do with myself?"

"I do." She said with a purr, her lips lifting, her hand gripping his shirt as she pulled at it to bring his ear to her lips.

"And what is that?" He whispered, sure she was going to say something sensual enough to make his toes curl.

"Make me dinner." She whispered sexily into his ear. "I am starving."

"Bo-ones!" He exclaimed, tipping his head back, he shifted a bit as he realized how uncomfortable he was beginning to get, as she rolled onto her side and lifted his t-shirt. "Don't you dare!" He exclaimed as she pressed her lips on his skin and let out a puff of air as he squirmed beneath her lips as he listened to her laugh.


	49. Zoom Zoom Zoom

She sat at the little table near the window, eating a bowl of cereal as Booth skimmed through a magazine. She looked over at him, and when he started to look at her, she looked back down into her bowl. "How's the cereal?" He asked her softly, her eyes lifting to his as she smiled sweetly.

"It's good." She shrugged. "Thank you."

"It's not the most filling meal, but I didn't have any time to do any grocery shopping." He replied, watching her nod as he looked back at the magazine.

"What are you reading?" She asked, leaning over the table a little, he looked up at her.

"Oh, just a magazine on motorcycles… Jared got me thinking a while back."

"Motorcycles are very dangerous." She replied, watching his eyes look up to meet hers, he found them to be extremely serious. "What? They are." She said, looking at the magazine. "I used to have one like that." She said, pointing at a motorcycle in the magazine, she sat back and took another bite of cereal.

"You did not have a motorcycle like that." He said, glaring at her as he looked envious at the bike in the magazine.

"Yeah…" She said as she nodded. "You're right… my bike was a little bigger… it was a Harley…" She said, taking another bite of cereal, she munched quietly and stared at the bike in the magazine. "It was a little bluer on the…"

"Alright." He interrupted her. "You did not have a Harley."

"Actually… I still have it, it's in storage." She nodded her head, she looked up at him and tilted her head as he stared at her wide eyed. "What?" She laughed.

"You have a motorcycle and you never told me?"

"I am sure there are hundreds of things that I've never told you." She replied, concentrating on her cereal. "I didn't even know you liked motorcycles."

"Well, now you know." He said as he slid from the barstool and walked around the small table, he pressed a kiss to her cheek. "And you're going to have to show it to me." He said, walking past her, she let out a little laugh.

"I just got done telling you how dangerous motorcycles are. It was awkward and heavy… and its kind of uncomfortable." She said, feeling his hands snake around her body as she took another bite of cereal.

"Well, maybe you just haven't found someone who knows how to handle her… maybe you need someone else to break her in for you." He whispered seductively in her ear as his hands gently ran over her arm.

"Are you suggesting that I allow you to take my motorcycle out for a spin?" She asked, feeling his lips pressing against the spot right behind her ear.

"Mmhmm…" He whispered.

"You want to break it in for me?" She asked.

"Mmmhmm…" He whispered.

"Face it, Booth." She said as she turned to look him in the eyes, her blue eyes glittering as she tilted her head. "You are just a tad jealous that it was that engine that was vibrating between my thighs all of those months, and not you."

"Bones!" He exclaimed, taking a step back, his jaw dropped as she slid from the barstool with the empty bowl from her cereal. She smiled seductively at him and walked past him to the sink.

"What's wrong, Booth? You think only men are allowed to make sexual innuendo? You've been around Angela enough to know that's not true." She said, sensing that he was right behind her. She felt him push his body against her, his hands moving down her arms to her hands as he released the bowl from her fingertips, and tugged on her arm to pull her around to face him. She leaned against the sink and allowed him to put his arms on either side of her, leaning his body into her, his scent intoxicated her for a moment. "Did I tell you why I wanted to stay here with you tonight?"

"Mmm… no." He whispered, his eyes following hers as he dropped a sweet kiss on her cheek, and lifted his face to look into her eyes.

"It is because… I wanted to be surrounded by you." She whispered, leaning her forehead forward, she rested it on his and stared into his eyes. "I just wanted to sleep in your sheets… and melt into your body… in your domain." She growled seductively at him.

"You were worried that Angela was going to show up at your place, weren't you?"

"Booth?" She whispered, shaking her head just a bit, he raised his eyebrow. "Read my mind one more time… and I swear, you're going to be sleeping alone tonight." She teased as he pressed his lips into her neck and laughed.

"I can read your eyes, your body, and your mind… anytime I like." He whispered. "I may not always understand what your mind is saying…"

"Lots of big words." She teased him, listening to his chuckle.

"Right." He teased back. "So…" He whispered, nodding toward the bowl in the sink. "Hunger satisfied?" He whispered, watching the slow smile slip across her lips, her eyes lightened and her pupils dilated just a bit as she stared into his dark eyes.

"Hardly." She shrugged, her voice uncharacteristically sweet, a bit husky, and absolutely filled to the brink with love, as he took her hand and turned, leading her silently through his apartment to his bedroom. Television was going to have to wait.


	50. Getting the Record Straight

Exhausted and satisfied for the time being, Booth wrapped his arm around Brennan and hugged her tightly to his body, burying his nose in her hair, he nuzzled her neck until she squeaked just a little, so he settled for just tender kisses to her cheek and neck. "You're so warm." He whispered in her ear, feeling her push into him a little, she turned her head so that she could see his eyes. Smiling, she turned her head back, and felt his kiss on her head.

"Stefan…" She whispered, her voice low and thoughtful.

"Excuse me?" Booth whispered into her ear, having clearly heard the name of another man whisper from her lips.

"I said Stefan…" She said a little louder. "Or… Brandon…"

"Seeley… or Booth." He said in return, hearing her giggle.

"I'm trying to think of a name for my fake boyfriend." She replied, a low grumble in her voice. "What do you think of Brandon?"

"Don't like it."

"Good…" She nodded.

"Good?"

"You're not supposed to like it." She said softly.

"Candy." He whispered.

"Huh?"

"My fake girlfriend's name is Candy."

"That's an awful name." She said, rolling over to look at him, giving him a glare.

"Good… you're not supposed to like it." He said, the corner of his lip turned up in a challenging smile, his eyes narrowing.

"Are you dating a stripper?" She asked.

"Exotic dancer."

"Booth!" She exclaimed as she pushed away from him, feeling his arms pull her closer, she watched a brighter grin appear on his face.

"Well, what does Brandon do?"

"Um… he's a pilot."

"Oh… you like your men in uniform." He teased. "I pictured Brandon to be something like… an underwear model, or an accountant."

"An accountant?" She asked.

"Yeah, one of those guys that wears a pocket protector, or has one of those nasty cowlicks that no matter how much gel they use, they can't seem to get it to stay down." He said, touching his head with his hand, he listened to her laugh. "Where did you meet him?"

"Book signing last week… he walked up to the table, I signed the book to him… he was getting it signed for his mom and asked me out for coffee." She replied.

"Hmm… you have this pretty figured out… it's almost as if this very thing has happened to you."

"So you think it's convincing?" She asked, raising her eyebrows as he nodded, that suspicious glare still in his eyes. "Where did you meet Candy?"

"At a strip club…" He said, feeling her hand reach up and before he could stop her, she had his nipple between her forefinger and thumb. "I mean… at the diner, at the diner…. I was walking out of the diner, and she almost ran into me… we got to talking and…" As he spoke, she lifted her hand from his chest. "And she asked me if I wanted to see her dance at the strip club." He said as she went for him again, but instead of wincing he laughed and grabbed her around her waist, rolling her on top of him, he listened to her laugh and laughed himself. "All of the other stuff… its true… except the last bit, I guess." He shrugged. "And she's um… she's a doctor…"

"Candy is a doctor?"

"Yeah… she is a pediatrician."

"Okay, I can work with that." She said with a smile, looking down at him, she kissed his chin. "It is way too early to go to bed." She whispered, leaning over him, she grabbed his t-shirt from beside the pillow.

"Are you claiming that shirt as your own?"

"Of course." She said, rolling to her side, she pulled the t-shirt over her head and slipped her arms through the sleeves as she leaned up and gave him a kiss before standing up. She grabbed his boxers and tossed them to him. He nodded gratefully and pulled them under the blankets, pulling them up onto his hips, he rolled out of bed too and stood up. "Let's go watch some television." She whispered as he kissed her head and nodded, walking past her.

"Oh… by the way…" He said as he watched her tilt her head as she looked around for her panties. "Candy is much, much wilder in bed than you are." He said, a grin brightening his face as he took off running through the apartment.

"Get back here, Seeley Booth!" She exclaimed, forgetting her search, she ran through the apartment after him.


	51. Finger Painting

Tangled once again, Brennan could feel gentle breathing at her neck when she woke in a familiar place, with a pair of familiar arms wrapped securely around her. She stared at the television screen in front of them, the sound muted, most likely by Booth before he drifted to sleep against her, she watched the infomercial as the people on the screen made orange juice with some kind of new contraption they were attempting to sell.

"Booth?" She whispered, wiggling in his arms a little, she pulled her leg from between his and attempted to roll over. "Booth?" She whispered again. When she came face to face with him, she watched his eyes open sleepily, a slight smile on his lips.

"Hey, beautiful." He said, noticing the shy smile on her lips.

"Did you um…?"

"Bedroom?" He whispered, watching her nod her head. "Let's go on in there." He said, watching her nod her head. She was still clad in his t-shirt, and he in his boxers, and when she rolled out from beneath the blanket they had been draped in on the couch, she immediately felt the chill of the nighttime air on her skin. He watched her shiver as she waited for him, he lifted the blanket from the couch off of himself and draped her in it, laughing when it landed on her head, and she flashed him a half irritated scowl. He reached for her hand and smiled when she grabbed hold of it immediately, and they moved toward the bedroom together.

"I want to call in sick." She whispered.

"You did not just say that." He replied when they made their way to the bed and he pulled back the blankets, indicating for her to pick which side of the bed she'd like, he watched as she crawled into the middle. "Bones, which side?"

"It doesn't matter." She replied, shrugging, he switched off the light, he crawled into the side closest to the door, his head snapping in her direction when she snickered.

"What was that?" He asked.

"I knew you were going to pick that side." She replied.

"Oh yeah, you knew?" He asked, rolling onto his side, he came face to face with her, her eyes sparkled in the darkness of the room and he could make out her features if only by memory.

"Typical alpha male… sleep close to the door, just in case someone breaks in, so you can defend your woman…" She said sarcastically, teasing him playfully.

"Oh yeah? Who says I won't just flip the guy over me and onto your side of the bed… let you deal with him."

"Because you sleep with your gun under your pillow, don't you?" She whispered playfully.

"Oh, baby…" He teased, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "You know exactly where I keep my gun."

"Booth!" She exclaimed, pushing against his chest, he laughed.

"It's in the dresser! It's in the dresser! Geez! Didn't you watch me put it in there earlier?" He exclaimed.

"Oh." She said, seemingly embarrassed by implying that he had been making a dirty joke. "I thought…"

"Oh… you thought… you thought…" He teased. "You thought I was being inappropriate, and filling our conversation with innuendo. You thought I was being crude." He scoffed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"You also know me well enough to know that I'm just picking on you right now." He whispered, leaning forward to kiss her hair. "I was totally being crude." He admitted.

"I know." She whispered. "You get one pass per day." She replied. "It's a shame that you wasted it at two thirty in the morning."

"Hey! You need to give me another pass… I didn't know there was a rule."

"Well, now you know… you'll have to just save it all day long now…" She shrugged. "Such a shame, such a shame." She said in a disappointed tone.

"Bones?"

"Hm…?"

"I like this side of you." He whispered.

"What side of me?"

"The fun side… I like it. It's different…"

"Well, you've earned it." She whispered. "You make me feel… silly on the inside… when I am with you like this, I don't feel like I have to hide behind my intelligence. When I make a mistake, you don't give me that look that Cam gives me, or Angela… You almost act like you expect it from me, like you would be disappointed if I didn't think the way that I do."

"I would be disappointed if you weren't you, Bones." He whispered. "I don't want you to be anyone else." He paused. "I know you think that it would be impossible for you to be anyone else… but I've seen people change, Bones. I know that the job that we do can make people change, and I just want to be sure that you know that…" His worries were suddenly hushed by a finger touching his lips, and a nose barely touching his as he caught a glimpse of those wide blue eyes staring back at him.

"You're getting way too deep for two thirty in the morning." She whispered. "You seem to forget that you were the one that dragged me up the side of the mountain in the middle of the night so that you could announce to the world that you were in love with me… yet you tell me that the world isn't allowed to know we're in love because you're afraid that the world isn't ready for our love." She whispered. "Just… think for a minute, Booth… take a little time and chew on what I'm about to say, okay? If you know who I am, and you know what you had to get through in my brain to get me to say that I love you, to get me to go along with this crazy scheme of yours… to get me to stay at your apartment and steal your clothes… If I'm ready for all of that, don't you think the world is ready for it too?" She whispered quite fiercely.

"Bones…" He said into her finger.

"Pshh…quiet." She said, pushing her finger harder into his lips. "Just… think on it… sleep on it…" She said, leaning forward, she moved her finger to the side and left a kiss on his lips. "Sleep on it." She said again, burying her head into his chest, she felt his arms wrap around her and she slipped into a quiet slumber as he attempted, in vain, to sleep on her words.


	52. Playing Dumb isn't Always Easy

The screaming alarm was grating on her nerves, and when she reached to her bedside table to disarm it, she couldn't find it. Instead of her alarm, all she seemed to find was a soft fleshy object that jumped when her hand hit against it. She heard a voice yelp, and realized that she wasn't in her own bed. In a moment of embarrassment, she pretended that she didn't just slam her hand into her partner and boyfriend, the man that had been, up to the impact of her hand in his face, been sleeping peacefully.

"Bones…" He grunted into his hand, he rolled onto his side and noticed that she was staring at him with a sheepish and wide eyed expression. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't give me a black eye… a simple request to turn the alarm off would be fine." He said, slamming his hand to the side, the alarm was silenced.

"I forgot where I was." She whispered, watching the smile in his eyes as he tried to keep a serious face.

"Do you remember where you are now?" He whispered, rolling forward to her, he rested his forehead against hers, though she could see the red mark on his face, she was glad it was fading.

"Yes." She whispered.

"Good… I didn't want to have to explain to Sweets this morning why there is a Bones shaped hand mark on my face." He mumbled, watching her eyes sparkle in his. "Shower?" He whispered.

"Booth." She sighed. "You know that the last thing that happens in a shower when you and I are in there, is cleanliness. I am going to have to pass." She whispered.

"You…" He said, his jaw dropping slightly. "You just… you just passed me up on shower sex?" He asked, his voice bringing across how unbelievable he thought it was that she would do such a thing.

"No." She said, moving her body into his, she kissed his neck, his ear, his cheek as she listened to him groan against her. "I never said that we couldn't have shower sex."

"But you said…"

"I said I was passing on the cleaning part… you know… the part where you call it a shower, and we end up making love instead of…"

"Mmm…" He whispered, his lips against her neck now, their hands roaming to familiar and exciting places. "I got it…" he whispered.

"So now… ask…" she whispered against his skin, kisses peppering his skin as she felt him move beneath her, his body humming with electricity. "Ask…" She whispered.

"Bones… will you have sex in the shower with me?" He whispered, the words coming out of his mouth somewhat awkwardly, he raised his eyebrow and looked her in the eye, a look that elicited a smile from his partner and lover.

"No." She said, watching his eyes widen and his mouth drop again. "I am not going to waste time with that stupid shower of yours." She said with a purr, she pushed against his body and rolled him onto his back, landing atop him, ready and waiting for his next move.

"Bones… if you believed in worship…" He rolled his eyes with a growl as he pulled her down to him, listening to her squeak in surprise.

"What?" She exclaimed, allowing him to touch and playfully kiss her all over.

"I would so be on my knees right now…" He growled, hearing her full laugh as they fell together in a knot of limbs and happiness.

"I believe in worship, baby… and I can arrange that... I can arrange a lot of things." She purred against his ear, their playful banter turning into lovemaking right there, intimate and close as they showed one another the love that they had, reveling in the peacefulness of their lover's arms, while they let the uncertainty of the day sit in the backs of their minds and take advantage of this moment of pure bliss.

-------------

Showered and ready, Brennan waited for Booth to be finished with his morning grooming ritual that she had made fun of since they had had their first undercover assignment. He walked toward the door, dressed and ready for the day as he leaned down to give her a delicate kiss. "Are you ready for another day of lying and deceit?" He asked, raising his eyebrows, he watched the darker look in her eyes and was momentarily confused. "What's wrong, Bones?"

"You didn't think about what I said last night, did you?" She whispered.

"Bones, it was late… we were exhausted, I was babbling… I thought you were babbling too." He said, watching the glare she was giving him.

"I do not babble." She said in a serious tone. "I am glad that I found out now that you don't listen well when we have serious conversations. I'll see you at Sweets' office." She said, her voice showing the disappointment within it as she gave him a stern look and walked through the doorway.

"Bones…"

"No, Booth. There's nothing to discuss. It's fine… we'll just continue lying to our friends and coworkers, and I'll just continue loving you in secret. It's fine." She said, walking quickly down the steps in front of him, she pushed through the door to the outside without even turning to give him a second look.

"Bones, please… we can talk about it if you want. We can talk about it later." He replied.

"Just forget it, Booth." She said, unlocking her car. He paused as he watched her climb inside and glare at him through the window as she pulled her seatbelt on. He watched her give a half hearted wave as she turned the car on and took off down the road, leaving Booth standing on the sidewalk watching behind her on his way to the SUV, the sigh on his lips was slight but heavy, as the words of last night echoed through his mind again and again, just as they had been since she had uttered them in the first place.


	53. Mixed Text Messages

_Bones?_

**Don't text me, if you want to talk to me, talk.**

_We can't talk out loud now._

**Why not?**

_We are sitting in the waiting room, you know that he has spies_

**Sweets does not have spies.**

_He could have spies_

**He could also have your text messages released to him as public information.**

He glared across the waiting room at her.

**Don't glare at me, it's not nice. Don't ignore my important conversations **

_I did not ignore your conversation_

**Did so!**

_Did not!_

**Did so!**

_Fine, we'll tell Sweets_

**What?**

_We. Will. Tell. Sweets._

**Tell Sweets what?**

_That you and I are carrying on a sexual relationship, and we like it._

**Hey, I never said I liked it.**

_Hey!_

She giggled from across the room, and they both looked up to see that the secretary was watching them, their attention going back down to the phone.

_She's onto us._

**Booth, I'm closing my phone now.**

_No, talk to me more._

**Booth…**

_I love you, my little sex kitten._

Just as the text message beeped on her phone, the door to Sweets office opened and he stepped out with a smile, noting that Doctor Brennan's face was unusually flushed, and Booth had a very guilty look on his face. He glanced to the secretary who shrugged, and he opened the door wider for his patients to enter.

They stepped passed him and exchanged a glance, and Sweets could immediately tell there was a level of tension between them that he had never before experienced. As he turned and moved toward his chair, he watched them situate themselves on the couch. There were no noticeable differences to where they sat, still far enough apart to be professional, yet close enough to be perceived as intimate. He settled in his chair and sat back, a smile on his face as Booth looked at him expectantly, while Doctor Brennan looked down at her hands, something she rarely did at their sessions. She seemed preoccupied, and Sweets was a bit concerned that there had been some issues between the two of them. "So, how was your weekend, guys?"

"It was great…" Booth replied, at the same time as Brennan's 'fine', answered the question.

"Did you do anything exciting?"

"Actually, I did…" He said, smiling as he opened his mouth to completely confess of their weekend, when Brennan interrupted.

"Yeah… he did something exciting… and her name was Candy." Brennan blurted out, and a stunned and absolutely confused silence filled the therapists office.


	54. Bicker, Then Life

The moment Booth regained his composure, he stood up. "Bones, waiting room." He said, nodding toward the door.

"What? No… Booth…" She said as she shook her head. "I thought…"

"Waiting room, Bones… waiting room… please, please… waiting room." He said, though his voice was on the verge of a whine, and when he looked to Sweets he could see that the psychologist had nothing to say at that moment. He needed to get out of that office, with his partner immediately, before he had regained his speech again. "Bones…"

"I'm coming, I'm coming…" She said, glancing to Sweets. "We'll be right back." She said, feeling his hand on her back as he guided her out of the door. He walked with her out into the waiting room, past the secretary and down to the farthest end of the room, backing her into a corner, he came within inches of her face. "Booth? What is…?"

"What the hell was that, Bones?" He whispered fiercely. He wasn't angry and she could tell, but he was very shocked by what she had done.

"You said you weren't ready for the truth, you said we were doing lying and deceit." She whispered back, eyeing the secretary as she watched them. "Don't you think you're standing a little too close to me, if we want to maintain our cover?"

"Bones… focus." He said, looking in her eyes. "I thought about what you said last night. I know you don't babble. You're right… we should tell people."

"And you really think that Sweets should be the first person to know this information? I guess he's going to find out anyway." She whispered.

"Well, yeah… after that little outburst though, I'm sure he's a little suspicious about what the hell is going on."

"You were the one that dragged me out of there and into the waiting room as if you were going to snap at me… he probably just thinks we are just having another one of our classic arguments!"

"We don't argue! We bicker!" He exclaimed, realizing that he had exclaimed that a bit too loudly. "We bicker." He whispered. "What do you want us to do?"

"Booth… just… sit or get off the pot."

"Wait, wait… you KNOW that's not how the saying goes…"

"Shut up, Booth… just shut up… what are we doing here? Because I am very, very confused! Do we tell him, or do we not tell him?" She asked, glancing over across the waiting room toward the open door.

"I say we tell him." Booth whispered.

"I say no… You're obviously not ready, and… I don't want to do this if you're not ready."

"Guys?" Sweets voice interrupted their argument, his eyebrows knitted in confusion as he watched the intensity of which their arguing was taking place.

"Just a second, Sweets." Booth said, his voice deep and serious as he turned back to his partner. "Bones…" He whispered. "Please…"

"Please what?" She asked as he grabbed her hand and started pulling her back toward the office. "Booth… Please what?" She asked again as they got closer to Sweets. "Booth? Pl…" Suddenly, her words were cut off by his lips as he grabbed her and pulled her lips to his, taking a deep breath as they heard the gasp from both the secretary and Sweets from right beside them. "Mmm…" She said, their lips smacking as he pulled from the kiss and looked her straight in the eyes. "I guess we're telling him." She whispered, licking her lips as she tried to keep her composure, a dark red blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Let's go, Sweets." Booth said, licking his lips. "We've got a lot to talk about, and Bones and I have a job to get back to." He said, grabbing his partner's hand, he pulled her along with him, leaving the psychologist slack jawed and speechless on the other side of the office door.


	55. Short Session

It took several moments before Sweets walked back into his office, and when he did, both Brennan and Booth were sitting as they had been just a few moments earlier, though the tension appeared to be obliterated. There was a different kind of electricity in the air, it held almost an air of excitement, and Sweets could clearly tell that the two of them were trying their very best to keep their 'Agent Booth' and 'Doctor Brennan' faces on.

"Um… well…" Sweets said as he sat down, trying to get back to where they had started. "I mean, I really… I really don't know what to say."

"I am imagining that Angela would use the sentence 'it is about damn time'." Brennan nodded, her statement absolutely serious as she glanced to Booth, who nodded earnestly back at her.

"Hodgins… he'd say something like… 'Dude… way to go…'" Booth said, doing his best impersonation of Hodgins with a little thumbs up and everything.

"Very good impersonation." Brennan nodded.

"I think the word you're looking for is 'impression', but thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Alright! Alright... alright…" Sweets said impatiently as he decided to derail the conversation before it became any more awkward. "How did… this happen?" He asked, referring to the two of them, obviously meaning the change in relationship, but the glare from Booth meant something completely different.

"Excuse me?" Booth cleared his throat. "Don't you think that's a little personal?"

"You know what I mean, Agent Booth." Sweets said, refusing to fall for the little joke routine.

"Here is our actual problem." Booth said, sitting back. "Bones and me…"

"Bones and I." She corrected, he glared, she smirked.

"Bones and I…" He said, emphasizing the 'I', "Have come to the conclusion that our relationship has gotten to the point where we feel that it needs to move beyond just eye sex and random touching." He sighed. "We've always been connected emotionally, and this weekend… we just… we took that step… it was more of a leap… a leap of faith, one might say."

"One being you, I'm assuming." Brennan asked, raising her eyebrows at him, she gave him another smirk as he glared. "Are you going to keep up the sarcasm?"

"I think I might." She nodded. "Go on."

"Well…" Booth said, looking to Sweets. "Our problems is… how is it going to affect our working relationship, and should we have even told you about this in the first place." He cringed a little, glancing to Brennan who gave a little fake cringe of her own.

"Well, it's good that you came to me on this." He nodded. "I mean… your personal relationships are an important dynamic of how you work together, and knowing as much as I do about you, I don't think it would necessarily be my responsibility to announce this change in your relationship… unless of course it does affect your working relationship negatively."

"Well, it's only been a few days… and only one work day, so… you know."

"And no one at the lab knows?"

"Um… nope." Booth shook his head. "Angela thinks each of us are dating other people."

"And, do you think that would have more of a distraction than you two dating one another?" He asked innocently.

There was a moment of silence between the partners as they glanced at one another and then back to Sweets. "We um… didn't really think about it." Brennan whispered. "But we came up with a fake boyfriend and girlfriend."

"That's a great idea!" Sweets exclaimed. "If you were in high school." He said as both of their faces became crestfallen. "Just be honest with your coworkers… tell them the truth if you think it would make things better for you, don't drag this secret around with you guys, it will only end up weighing on you, and it probably wouldn't be beneficial to the future of your relationship." He shrugged.

"I think we should keep it a secret." Brennan said to Booth, ignoring what Sweets said. "I mean, he can't tell them…"

"Oh Bones… that would kill poor Sweets here…"

"So?" She said, glancing to their psychologist. "I mean… it's not like he doesn't keep all of our other secrets for us, right?"

"Very true, very true…" Booth replied.

"I think we're going to stick with the 'not together' story for now… until we figure out where we are in our relationship… and then we'll announce it, I think."

"Guys, I really don't think this is a good…"

"Thanks for the advice, Sweets." Booth said as he stood up. "You ready to get going, Bones?"

"Guys, the session isn't over yet."

"We trust our secret is safe with you?" Booth said, helping Brennan up, he kissed her temple as he glanced to Sweets, giving her a little squeeze. "Yeah, and you may want to talk to Nancy out there… tell her that this thing is under wraps." He said in a loud whisper. "Thanks, Sweets… it was good talking to you."

"Agent Booth…" He stammered as Booth led Brennan to the door. "Doctor Brennan?"

"Bye Sweets." Brennan replied, allowing Booth to lead her out the door, the two of them disappeared out the door and through the waiting room before Sweets could say another word. He covered his face with his hands and walked back into his office, slamming the door behind him.


	56. Leftovers

There was loud laughter emanating from the elevator, laughter that for those waiting for the car to arrive on the correct floor, would have thought that it was on the verge of tears. As soon as the doors opened, however, Agent Booth stepped off without so much as a smile, followed by his partner, Doctor Temperance Brennan, whom they would swear had wiped a tear from her eye as she followed her partner toward his office.

Booth stepped into his office first, walking toward his desk, he walked around it and turned around to see his partner leaning on it just a bit, watching him playfully. "What are you looking at?" He asked, his eye crinkling a bit as he gave her a half smile. He glanced around to ensure that the door was closed behind them, though it was glass, so there would be no displays for the other agents on the other side of the glass to see.

"I wish I could kiss you now, that's all."

"You had the opportunity in the elevator." He shrugged.

"Right… you know those guys in security are watching everything that goes on in those elevators." She replied, giving him a half smile as she glanced behind her before sitting in one of the chairs across from him at the desk.

"Yeah, I never really thought about that." Booth said, with a little fake cringe. "Are you heading back to the lab?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "Angela probably has an ID on those remains we brought in yesterday. She probably wants to know how my hot date went last night… how our visit with Sweets went today."

"Will I see you for lunch?" He asked, raising his eyebrow as he smiled across at her.

"Mm…" She shrugged. "Where did you have in mind?"

"My place?" He asked, watching her wide eyes sparkle at him, that sly smile at the corner of her lips.

"I find you to be very presumptive, Booth. I am assuming that there will be dessert after lunch?" She asked.

"I always have pie with my lunch." He said with a smile.

"Is that right?"

"That is right… Apple pie… Cherry pie… Sweetie pie." He grinned.

"Oh…Booth." She shook her head and laughed. "You did not just go there."

"Oh, I went there… I went there and I liked it." He said in a suggestive tone, standing up to lean across his desk, he watched her give him a disapproving shake of his head. "Go on… get out of here… get back to your lab…" He said, waving his hand at her as she stood up. She walked close to his desk and leaned just slightly over it, coming within inches of his lips with her own.

"Oh, Booth… if I could, I'd grab that tie and kiss that stupid grin right off your face." She said, tipping her head.

"Oh yeah? Well… we can always let those guys out there know the same way we let Sweets know." He shrugged.

She then laughed, not a small giggle, but a full laugh that lightened his mood and his spirits as she shook her head and stepped away from his desk. "Get some paperwork done… and then meet me at your place at half past noon. If you are late… there might not be any sweetie pie left…"

"What will I be stuck with?" He asked, eying her carefully as she shrugged.

"Leftovers." She said, giving him a wink and a smile, she walked toward the door, at the sound of his frustrated sigh, she turned her head, giving him a cheesy grin and a smile over her shoulder, she walked from his office with a slight wiggle to her hips, knowing that he was following her all the way out into the hallway.

She rode the elevator to the parking garage, her phone buzzing when she reached the bottom floor. She pulled it out as she reached the car. She pulled the phone from her pocket and looked down at the message and smiled.

_No disrespect, but I never settle for leftovers..._

She smiled and rolled her eyes, getting into her car she shook her head as she headed back over to the lab to officially start her day.


	57. Speaker from Experience

The moment Brennan stepped into the lab, Angela was at her side, striding alongside her silently, though it was obvious that Brennan had a skip in her step as she entered her office. "So?" Angela said, cutting to the chase immediately.

"So what?" Brennan said, a smile sneaking onto her lips as she walked around her desk and sat down. "So, did you get an ID?"

"It's running through the database now with the reconstructions… I set it up so my phone will beep if it gets a match."

"How uncharacteristically lazy of you." Brennan teased as Angela raised an eyebrow at her snarky friend.

"Well… you seem awfully chipper today… things better with our FBI stud?"

"Booth?" Brennan asked curiously. "Everything is fine with Booth. We saw Sweets this morning, it went fine." She shrugged, moving past that conversation quickly, for fear that there would be more questions. "Let me check my e-mail, and I'll check out your reconstruction." She said, staring at her screen, she tried not to smirk when she saw an e-mail from Booth entitled 'Lunch is on', and when she opened it, the only message in the body of the e-mail was the word 'me'. She sighed and closed her mail, looking up at Angela, she put on her serious work face. "Alright, let's go check out what the computer has." She said as she walked out into the lab with Angela, when suddenly the sound of feet pounding toward them was heard.

"Boots!" Hodgins exclaimed.

"Bones." Brennan said with a confused expression, getting the same perplexed look from Hodgins, she shook he her head and coughed a little. "What? I mean… what?"

"Boots." Hodgins said quickly. "The boots that the victim was wearing must have been on him when he died. The particulates from the bottom are silt that is not found in this region, along with seeds from a tall grass indigenous to a different region of Virginia entirely, it's found in another area… about thirty miles away. The boots are the clue to the crime scene! We find this silt, these types of plans, and we found our murder scene."

"Great job, Hodgins." Brennan said as they continued to walk toward Angela's office. "Narrow down the area, I'll call Booth." She said, as they walked into the office just as Angela's phone beeped.

"See that… perfect timing." Angela said proudly as they walked into the office and she grabbed her controller for her software. They stood in front of the monitor, and the face of an older man, about forty years old popped up on the screen, a former gardener whose wife had reported him missing. She approved of the reconstruction and match and agreed to call Booth with the information.

"Thanks, Ange." She said, a smile on her face as she grabbed the printed piece of paper from the printer. "Can you e-mail that to Booth… I'm going to call him and tell him."

"Will do." Angela said as she smiled at her friend, watching her as she walked out of the office. Angela then ran to her computer, did a quick send and then rushed out the door to catch up with Brennan halfway to her office. "So…" She said, a grin spreading across her face as she followed her friend into her office. "How was the big date last night?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"It was very satisfying." Brennan replied, sitting at her desk, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach as she thought of her evening with Booth, she hardly ever gave up bits of herself to Angela, so she figured that holding back now would be less suspicious.

"Oh… satisfying…" She said with a smile. "You know… this chick that Booth has been seeing…"

"Candy." Brennan said, staring at her computer screen, she picked up her phone and held down the button on the receiver.

"Booth is dating a girl named Candy?" Angela scoffed.

"That's her name, she's a pediatrician." She said, repeating the information that Booth had given her.

"Really? A pediatrician named Candy…"

"I'm sure that she's very beautiful, and intelligent. I imagine she enjoys Booth's company immensely. Can we get back to the case?" She asked, watching Angela focus.

"Oh… oh, yeah… put him on speaker." Angela said, watching Brennan nod as she dialed the number, the ringing was loud in the office, and she heard him pick up.

"Hey there B…"

"Speaker, Booth… you're on speakerphone…" She said quickly.

"Bones…" He said, finishing his sentence, Brennan avoided eye contact with Angela for a second. "What do you got for me, over there?"

"Angela has the identification of the remains, she sent it to you a couple of minutes ago via e-mail…"

"Randall Steinman… okay…"

"And Hodgins may have something for you in a little bit for where he was killed, debris on his boot indicates a specific type of silt, with some remnants of a plant that he will be able to identify… probably within the hour." She said, hearing him hum a little over the line as he thought about what she was saying. Right, Angela?" She asked, trying to give Booth the reason he was on speaker phone.

"Right…" Angela nodded. "Hey, Booth."

"Hey, Ange." He said with a playful tone.

"You're sounding happy over there… was your night satisfying too?"

There was a pause on the line, and Brennan imagined that this moment was filled with a bit of a blush on his part as he thought about the fun they had the night before. "Sure was." He nodded his head. "Alright, I'm going to let you go… I'll talk to you guys later, I'm sure that I'll hear from you guys soon, have a good morning.

"Later, Booth." Angela said as she watched Brennan, hang the phone up. "Did you hear that, his night was satisfying." Angela wiggled her eyebrows at Brennan, watching her friend glower at her.

"Alright, Ange… I got some stuff to get done… I'll talk to you later." She said, hearing her phone beep to indicate there was a text message. She glanced to see Booth's number and looked up at Angela who was giving her an expectant glance. "Bye, Angela…" She said as her friend just smiled and shook her head. She stood up and left the office

Brennan picked up the phone and glanced at the message.

_Thx for the warning, kitten. ILY_

She rolled her eyes and smiled, closing her phone she set it next to her as she set about a little bit of desk work for the morning.


	58. Just When You Thought They Were Fooled

Brennan was just standing up at her desk to get ready to go to lunch she was turned around when she heard her door slam, making her jump. She turned around to face the door and a familiar man was standing in her office, a sly grin on his face. "What are you doing here?" She asked, trying to hide her smile.

"You're not happy to see me?" He asked, tilting his head.

"I just thought…"

"We are." He shrugged. "I just thought I'd come in… make a scene…" He winked as she grinned.

"We are going to get caught, Booth." She whispered.

"How are we going to get caught?" He shook his head. "They have no idea… shout… give me a break… say it like you mean it." He said with a sly grin, approaching her desk, she gave him a playful smirk and shook her head.

"Booth…"

"Come on, kitten… play along." He whispered.

"Give me a break, Booth!" She shouted, her voice coming across angry. "And stop calling me kitten…" She whispered fiercely, the glint in her eye telling him a completely different story.

"What are you going to do about it?" He said loudly, giving her a sly smirk, when she shook her head. "Kitten." He whispered.

"Just get the hell out of my office, okay?" She exclaimed.

"Good one, Bones." He winked.

"Thanks." She said with a smile. "I was just leaving for your place."

"Oh yeah?" He exclaimed, his voice sounding angry. "Whatever, Bones! What the hell ever!" He exclaimed as he winked and walked toward her door. "I hope your boyfriend knows what he's getting into!"

"Oh… he knows!" she exclaimed with a bit of a smile on her lips. "He knows, and he likes it…" She said as he reached for the doorknob.

"See you in about a half hour, kitten." He whispered, opening the door.

"Just get out, okay?" She exclaimed. "Come back when you're less moody…"

"I'll come back when you actually have something for me…" He snapped, turning to walk out of the office, he marched angrily past all of the lab techs, Cam, Angela, without another word, leaving the lab.

Brennan took a slow deep breath and tried her hardest to look upset, though she was actually incredibly humored by his display, and a little turned on. She grabbed her bag and swung it over her shoulder, put on her best 'angry' face, and stomped out of her office. She was walking by Angela, when suddenly, her arm was pulled.

"What the hell was that all about?" Angela asked as she looked at her friend wide eyed.

"Nothing… he's just upset because I told him that I'm not having lunch with him again."

"Bren, I don't know about this… he seemed really upset."

"I really don't care." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "If he wants to act like a petulant child, then let him act like a petulant child. I have a life, and I can't put it on hold because he doesn't know how to share."

"Sweetie, this is a little more than him not being able to share… you've had boyfriend's before… he's never been this vocal before. Maybe you and Booth really need to sit down and have a heart to heart."

"Or maybe… he needs to stop acting like a petulant child, and then we wouldn't need to have a heart to heart. I should get going… I'm meeting Brandon at his place." She said, watching Angela's eyebrows raise curiously.

"Mm… Brandon…"

"Yeah…" Brennan nodded. "I um… I should go, he's waiting."

"Well… you have a good time then." Angela shrugged.

"Oh… trust me… I will…" Brennan said as she stalked quickly from the lab, hoping that she could keep this energy she was feeling up, because it was far too exciting to let go.


	59. The Switchamacallit

He was in his bedroom when he heard the light knocking on his door, and out of habit looked through the peep hole to see his partner standing there, waiting for him. He opened the door just a crack and looked out into the hallway. "Can I help you, Miss?" He asked, seeing her standing with her cell phone in her hand, she looked up at him.

She let her eyebrow raise slowly, and a half smirk appeared on her lips and she shook her head. "Don't you role play with me, Seeley Booth." She said, pushing at the door slightly, he moved backwards and let her into the apartment, closing it behind him, he turned around only to be pushed against the door, her lips against his in just a second as his hands moved to her back.

"I like playing grab ass in the afternoon."

"You grab my ass, and you're going to be holding a broken wrist." She growled against him, pushing her hips against his as he growled into her neck lovingly. "No hickeys, Booth."

"No scratch marks, kitten." He whispered, watching her eyes lift to his, her head tilt just a bit.

"Stop calling me that." She said with a bit of a glare that sent his smile to the next wattage.

"Mmm… stop purring…" He whispered against her skin as she giggled a bit.

"I can't stop purring, you know that…" She whispered, feeling him push her carefully with his arms, he turned as they reached the couch, and he tumbled them both over the arm of the couch, a loud 'oof' sound as she landed on top of him was the last thing that escaped his mouth before she was back to devouring it. The cell phone that had been her hand had been carelessly tossed onto the table next to the couch as she began pecking away at the buttons on his shirt, as he pulled his tie off quickly. "Oh God, you are so…" She growled.

"You can continue…" He whispered, feeling her lips on his neck, he writhed beneath her body as he pushed his head back and groaned. "Oh…" He whimpered. "This is…" His sentence was broken off by her lips, and he was very quickly falling under her spell.

"Booth?" She whispered, lifting her lips from his, she had a curious look on her face, and he was looking at her lips with a hunger, desire, need for more, his eyes flicked up to meet hers. "Booth, we should eat first…"

"Bones?" He groaned.

"What?" She whispered. "I don't think that we're going to have enough time if we… do… this first…" She shrugged.

"And you're hungry?" He asked, the look on his face was faux irritated, and he shook his head when she nodded. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No." She whispered.

"I will bring you something." He said, leaning up, he captured her lips with his own. "I will bring you something as a peace offering for our fight… our awful, awful fight…" He exclaimed as he pulled at her blouse, "I promise… please…" He begged as she purred against his lips for a moment, her eyes catching his.

"I kind of like this begging thing…" She said with a playful smile as he rolled his eyes and her, dropping them both to the floor.

"Evil, evil thing… I love you." He growled against her as they continued their love making on the floor, barely missing a beat from their drop to the floor.

-----

Sated and basking in their sexual afterglow, Booth buried his nose in her neck as she squeaked at the light tickle. "We are so running behind."

"That… is because you decided to do that new thing…"

"I just read that when you…" Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of a phone on the table above them. "Mmm… that's probably Hodgins or Angela…" She said, rolling her eyes, she pulled the phone from the table and brought it to her ear.

"Bones, that's…"

"Brennan…" She sighed, giving him a confused expression to his wide eyed shocked look.

"Sweetie?" The voice on the other line said, sounding confused.

"Ange? What do you need?"

"Um… Booth." She said, a long pause between the two of them. "I called… Booth's phone, sweetie."

"Oh." She whispered.


	60. Oops She Did It Again

It took only a second and the phone was flipped closed. "Bones! What are you doing?" Booth asked as she scrambled to get up. "Bones!" He exclaimed.

"We have to go." She said, looking for her clothes.

"What do you mean we have to go? What did she say?"

"We have to go now!" She exclaimed.

"Bones! Why did you hang up on her?" He said, getting to his feet, he quickly started to dress. "Now she knows something is up! Why couldn't you just lie to her?"

"Why couldn't you tell me that was your phone?" She exclaimed angrily at him.

"I tried to tell you! I tried to tell you, but you picked it up really quickly!"

"This is not my fault!" She exclaimed, turning around, she tapped his chest with the phone, shoving it at him quickly.

"How is this all my fault?" He exclaimed.

"You… you… you put your phone next to mine!" She shouted.

"Actually, my phone was there first, you put your phone next to mine." He replied. "Bones, stop freaking out!" He said, watching her button her blouse wrong for the second time. "Bones… please!" He exclaimed, reaching for her arms, he pulled her to him, slamming her chest against his. "Bones."

"What?" She whispered.

"This is not a big deal."

"You wanted it to be a secret." She said. "God, you… we… I am such an idiot!" she exclaimed, slamming her foot down. "Such a stupid idiot!"

"Bones, stop… it's okay."

"It's not okay, it's not okay… she probably… like… texted everyone, or sent out one of those universal phone message things… No… no, she did it by Extra Sensory Perception! Now everyone in the world knows!" She exclaimed, falling backwards to the couch, she put her head back dramatically.

Booth began to laugh at her dramatic exclamations, and the way she fell to the couch. "Bones, did you at least find out what she wanted?"

"No." She whispered, glancing to the offending object, just as it began to ring again. Booth held it in his hand as she looked at him wide eyed. "What are you going to do?" She whispered.

"You're going to answer it again… and you're going to tell her that our phones were switched…"

"But I hung up on her."

"Tell her you lost the connection!"

"Booth, this is stupid." She said, listening to the sound of the phone ringing. "Just tell her."

"No…" He said, shaking his head. "It's okay… it's okay if we don't tell her." He said with a shake of his head, pulling his shirt on, he started to button it. He watched her eyes as she shook her head angrily.

"Booth, just tell her!" Brennan exclaimed as she grabbed the phone. She flipped it open and took a deep breath, watching Booth as she spoke. "Yes, Angela… Booth and I are sleeping together… and it's very satisfying!" She exclaimed, her eyes were suddenly wide, her jaw dropping as her face turned a dark shade of red. "Um…" She whimpered. "Hi, Andrew." She whispered as she watched Booth's eyes widen, she stared into his eyes and she could feel the sudden anger radiating off him.

"Bones!" He whispered.

"He's here." She said, looking down to make sure she was dressed at least suitably enough to walk outside to her car. She handed the phone to Booth and turned.

"Bones!" He whispered fiercely as she grabbed her phone and headed toward the door. "Bones, get back here!" He exclaimed, his voice still whispering, as he watched her swing open the door and take off out into the hallway, the door slamming heavily behind her. With that, he brought the phone to his ear and took a slow deep breath. "Hi Sir." He said, glancing down to his boxer clad self as he rubbed his face with his hand and tried to concentrate. "Yeah, you know Bones… she… she was just joking around… just messing around with Angela." He said sheepishly, as he cringed when he heard the squeal of Brennan's tires as she peeled out from in front of his building. "Yeah…" He said with a sigh, sitting down heavily on the couch. "I have a second…"


	61. Here, Kitty, Kitty

Booth arrived at the lab nearly an hour later. He went to make sure that Brennan's car was there, and he put on his serious face as he entered the glass doors. As soon as he stepped inside, he noted the smile on Angela's face and noted that it wasn't overly bright or sunshiny. He raised his eyebrow at her and approached warily.

"Hey." He said, watching Angela lean a little over the table she was at.

"Hey…" Angela said, watching him almost as if she were waiting for something, he glanced toward Hodgins, and back to her.

"Did you guys find anything else? I still have to go out and talk to the family of the victim, and see if we can scrounge out a suspect from all of this." He said, watching her nod.

"Bren said you and her phone got switched?"

"Yeah… it wasn't a big deal… when I went into her office earlier, I tossed my phone across her desk, and when I left, I forgot it, so she actually had both of our phones."

"Ahh…" Angela nodded. "She seemed pretty eager to clear thing up."

"Where is she?" He asked, watching Angela's eyes drift to her office, she looked back to Booth.

"Good luck."

"Thanks." He said with a nod, walking toward the office, he heard Angela call his name and turned around to see her leaning against the table.

"I'm sure you guys will work things out." She said apologetically, sincerely.

Booth could feel his gut twist in guilt as he took a deep breath and turned toward the office. He glanced back to see that Angela had gone back to work, and he knew that now his goal was to get that forensic anthropologist from her lair, so he set about to do just that.

His first attempt was the easy approach, a soft knock on the door that he waited for either a shout at the door, or for it to open so that she could tell him to get lost, and he knew that things weren't good when there wasn't a response. "Bones?" He said, knocking on the door again, he waited. "Cmon, Bones…" He said softly. It was only a moment, and he felt his phone in his pocket vibrate. He glanced over toward Angela, noting that she was still working, he read her words.

_I messed up._

He smiled a bit and tipped his head on the door. "I told him you were just messing around, Bones. It's okay." He whispered. "Just… let me inside, we'll talk."

_I don't want to talk._ The next message buzzed through and he sighed.

"It's okay, Bones. Open the door… let me in, and I promise I won't talk until you're ready."

_We all know how that turns out._ Her reply made him smile.

"Bones… think to this morning, okay? To what happened at Sweets office… you know what I'm talking about." He whispered. "If you don't let me in, I may just not be able to control myself… my voice might just rise as I yell out a declaration of undying…" His words were interrupted as the door opened, and he came face to face with his desired target.

"Watch yourself, Booth." She whispered, her eyes narrowed in warning and she could see a glint of humor in his eyes, as her eyes reflected back to him.

"You look good." He remarked, noting how she had groomed herself back to that prim, proper professional anthropologist that he knew and loved.

"Your hair is sticking up." She said, nearly laughing out loud when she noticed his hand move up to smooth his hair back, he noted that his hair wasn't standing up and gave her a faux irritated glare. "I'm working on some things, was there something you need?" She whispered, noting that Angela was now watching them, she continued to maintain a safe distance from Booth.

"I just wanted to check on you, are you okay?"

"Booth."

"You ran out of my place pretty quickly. I just needed to check on you."

"I'm just fine, I assure you."

"We have to stop having afternoons like this, Bones."

"There is only one way to fix it, Booth… and you're not ready for it." She replied. "I have to get back to work." She said, attempting to close the door.

"Bones."

"I'll talk to you later." She said, leaning up she left a small peck on his lips, her eyes widening mockingly when she noticed his eyes widen and his jaw slacken slightly. "Now… go on and explain that to Angela… kitten." She winked. "I have some work to do." She whispered. "I love you."

"Love you." He whispered, as the door closed and he was left, staring at the wood of the closed door, a slow, sly smile slipping onto his lips as he listened to her giggle on the other side of the door.


	62. Choking on Secrets

Booth could feel his face burning from the surprise of her kissing him right then, and he whipped his head around to see that Angela was no longer at her station on the platform, and he wondered to himself if she had even seen the kiss. His stomach tumbled in anxiousness, and he looked back at the door, and turned around, walking back toward the platform. He looked around, and noticed that Angela was in her office on the phone, she had a smile on her face, and was talking animatedly, and Booth wasn't sure if he should approach this, or just leave where it lay.

She saw him standing awkwardly outside her office, and waved him inside, talking into the phone, she indicated the seat in front of her and watched as he sat down slowly in the chair. He watched as she said a quick goodbye to whoever was on the phone, hung up the phone and stared across her desk at him. "What do you think you're doing?" She said, fairly loudly as Booth's eyebrows raised and he gave her an innocent look, only because he was very unsure of what she was referring to. Angela got up and sat on the edge of her desk, looking at the man across from her with a disapproving scowl. "What are you letting her do to you?" She said, much quieter, she glanced toward the door of her friend.

"Ange, it's…"

"You let her just flaunt her boyfriend around secretly… and I know you know more than you're saying." She said, pointing at the agent with extended pointer finger, he watched it come extremely close to him as he widened his eyes. "But really, Booth. This is two days in a row that you two have been going at it like cats and dogs!" Angela exclaimed, sending Booth into a slight coughing fit. "Are you okay?"

"Fine… just…" He coughed again. "A little tickle… I'll be okay." He whispered, recovering after a moment. "I really don't think Bones' love life is something we need to be discussing."

"I don't know, Booth… you seem to get completely bent out of shape over the fact that she has a boyfriend. I don't see her getting all jealous of your girlfriend… she's calm and collected… and you, you're all… internal rage and passion…"

"Ange, it's fine." Booth said, putting his head down, he stared at his hands for a moment.

"No, Booth… it's not fine… I can't work like this." She said crossing her arms over her chest, she stood up and started pacing behind her desk. "We're supposed to be a team here… a team, Booth… Cam, Hodgins and I work with the data, and you and Brennan are out wrangling the bad guys… it's a team effort, Booth… and how are you and Brennan going to be off catching the bad guys if you're busy screwing one another like bunnies on your lunch break?"

Booth's head shot up in a second, his eyes wide with surprise as he watched the wide grin spread across the artists face. "Ange?"

"I am a little insulted that you told Sweets first." She pouted.

"Sweets?" Booth asked, standing up straight, he turned his head toward the door.

"No… Sweets didn't say anything… Bren told me."

"Bren… told you?"

"Come on, you know she can't keep a secret… She answered your phone, Booth… your phones look nothing alike, why would she answer your phone on accident?" Angela said stepping up to him, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I'm just a little jealous that I didn't get my hooks in you before Bren." She teased, watching Booth blush a little as she stepped away from him.

"How much… did she tell you?" He asked, his eyebrow lifting curiously as his eyes narrowed.

"How much is there to tell?" Angela asked, matching his expression exactly, she let her grin spread wide across her lips. "Listen…" She said, stepping up to Booth with an almost challenging glance. "Go easy on her, okay? This love stuff scares the crap out of her."

"I know, Angela."

"And if you start talking commitment, she's going to run faster than a cheetah with its ass on fire."

"Thank you for the visual."

"No problem… but my point is, Booth… You hurt my best friend… and you're going to find yourself in a state of paralysis… you don't work around murder all day every day and not learn a thing or two about hiding evidence…" She said, walking toward the door.

"Did you just threaten a federal agent?" He asked, pretending to be surprised by her antics.

"You bet your pretty pink striped socks I did." She said, strutting out of her office without a second glance.

Booth paused for only a moment as he followed after her. "Red! They're red striped socks…" he said, lowering his voice. "Red striped socks… color blind…" He sighed as he glanced toward the door of his partner, he noticed that she was peeking out of the door at him. Without another word, he headed directly toward her office with a very quick pace, not forgetting for even a moment that there were others in the lab as well. She stepped back as he approached, and he stomped into her office, swinging the door closed with a satisfyingly loud bang.


	63. Stumbling Toward a Resolution

As soon as the door slammed closed, Brennan watched as Booth ran furiously around the room to ensure that all of the curtains were slid closed and the door locked, and then he walked to the light switch and flicked it off. "Booth!" She exclaimed, watching his shadow as it came close to her from the glow of the computer screen, all he could make out was his silhouette.

"Hush." He said, walking toward her at a quick pace, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the side of the room furthest from the door. There was a corner of her office that he knew for a fact one couldn't see from anywhere on the outside of her office, and he pushed her against the wall, pushing his body against her, he could hear her breathing heavily.

"What are you doing?" She whispered.

"You told her?"

"I didn't have to tell her." Brennan said in a normal tone, only to have his finger pressed to her lip. She could feel his breath on her face as he leaned his head down at her. "She already figured it out, Booth." She said, swallowing hard, she thought for sure that he was upset, but since she couldn't see his eyes, she couldn't tell.

"I thought we were keeping things quiet."

"I didn't scream it through the lab, Booth." She whispered. "Though I'm sure everyone knows now, since my lights are off, and all my shades are drawn." She paused. "Are we having a fight?"

"Why?"

"Because, I want to have another fight."

"Excuse me?"

"I want to have an argument with you…" She said, grabbing his jacket lapels.

"Bones?"

"That's right… I want your bones…" She purred.

"You are my Bones." He growled back at her, pushing her harder into the wall, pushing his hips against hers.

"Do you want your Bones?"

"Right here?"

"Right here… right now…" She purred in his ear, her arms now stretching around his neck as her body pressed into his.

"Bones…" He said, tipping his head back, he almost lost control when he felt her lips on his neck. "Bones…?" he whispered in a higher pitch voice.

"So were we fighting or not?" She growled against his skin.

"Why?" He whimpered under her touch.

"Because I love make up sex." She whispered against his skin, making him squirm a little against her, his lips pressing against her neck as she pushed at him a little.

"What are you doing?" He asked, feeling her turn him around, his back was now pressed against the wall, and he was at her mercy. "Temperance… You're killing me…" He whispered.

"Booth?"

"Hmm…?" he said, stealing a kiss from her lips, she deepened the kiss and wrapped her arms around the back of his neck, pressing her body against him so hard, she was nearly lifted off her feet, their breathing heavy and erratic, as they were suddenly interrupted by the phone ringing. "Crap." He whispered as she let go of him and moved out of his arms. "Do you have to answer the phone?"

"It's probably about the case." She said, stumbling through her office, she nearly tripped as she made her way toward the desk, he watched as she landed hard against the desk and he cringed when she grabbed the phone. "Brennan…" She said. Booth could tell that she was in a bit of pain and made his way across her office, trying to dodge the chair in front of her desk, he missed, hooking his foot on the bottom, he went tumbling forward. "Yeah we'll… hang on…" She said, pulling the phone away from her mouth, she covered the receiver. "Booth?"

"I'm fine." He groaned from the floor. "Just finish the phone call." He whispered.

There was a pause, and then the phone was brought back to her ear. "Yes, I'll let him know…thank you." She said, hanging up the phone as she moved across her office toward the light. She hadn't realized that he had moved the chair when he fell, and tumbled forward, landing hard on top of a softer object than the expected floor, an object which nearly yelped in pain. "Booth!" She exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, could you… get your knee out of there… just in case you'd like it to be in working order later… that's all…" he said as she realized how she had landed.

"Sorry." She whispered as she rolled off of him and stood up, reaching for his hand, she helped him up, and gave him an apologetic kiss as they moved toward the light switch together.

"Bones?" He said, as he turned her against the door and leaned against her tenderly, dropping a kiss on her temple. "Two things…"

"Hmm?" She whispered, looking up into his eyes.

"Let's never do the 'office in the dark' experience again… and um… the second thing is… you might want to put that away before we walk out of the office." He said, indicating her unbuttoned shirt, she looked at him with a shocked expression for a moment, and her cheeks turned bright red as she turned around and faced away from him as she buttoned up her blouse while scolding him playfully as he chuckled.


	64. Smack and Tickle

They walked out of the office like champions, their hair mussed, their clothes slightly shifted, but by now they were fairly certain that everyone had already heard from Angela that they were together. As Booth walked toward the platform, he saw several of the lab techs glance over, but they continued their work regardless. They stepped up onto the platform after swiping their cards, and Booth leaned to Brennan. "Do you think they know?"

"Who?" She whispered.

"Everyone."

"I think after the little… smack and tickle in the office…"

"It's slap and tickle…" He said, watching the confusion in her eyes as he shrugged. "Maybe what we were doing was… nevermind… I don't think they know." He whispered.

"Why do you say that?" She asked, glancing around, she kept her voice low and watched him move around the desk she was standing at, he leaned on the glass partition above it.

"I don't know, I just always imagined that when they found out we were going out… they'd… start this slow clap thing… where it starts off really slow, and everyone on the lab claps and shouts out… and is all proud and saying things like… 'finally…' and 'way to go, Doctor Brennan, he's a real catch'… and…"

She looked up at him and saw the cocky grin on his face and she shook her head laughing. "I don't even have a response for that particular statement."

"You know… you got a phone call in your office, and you still haven't told me what it was about." He replied, watching her scan through a few things on the monitor in front of her.

"That's because it wasn't about you."

"But you said 'him' on the phone… you'll let 'him' know… I am your partner, I'm a guy… so that would make me, 'him'."

"Yes, you're correct… you are my partner, and you're a guy… However, you seem to forget… there is another 'him' working this case." She said, pointing her pen at him as he gave her a confused look.

"Who?"

"Hey guys, find anything on the bones of our trashed victim?" A voice came from behind them as Brennan busied herself with the computer for a moment, a cocky grin on her own face as she shook her head and practically heard the gears in Booth's head turning.

"Oh! Oh… Hodgins…" He said suddenly, turning his attention to the resident bug and slime guy. "Hodgins is the other guy."

"Good boy." She said, turning around, she saw the surprised look on his face as she grinned and looked to Hodgins. "FBI lab called, they said that there were some scrapings done for the Anderson case, and they found some particulates under the fingernails that might be of interest… and they wanted to know if you'd take a look at it."

"Yeah, sure… I love when we're busy around here." Hodgins said as he walked past the two of them, watching Brennan go back to what she was doing on the computer for a moment, he paused for a moment.

"Hey." Booth said, nodding toward the other man as he glanced to Booth quickly, realizing that Booth wanted him to make himself scarce, he nodded and turned, making a beeline toward the other end of the platform.

"Did you just use your alpha maleness to assert your claim to me?" She asked, still not looking up from the screen.

"Huh?"

"I swore, I heard you snort at Hodgins just then."

"I did not snort." Booth whispered, leaning over the partition a little more, he watched the smile rising on her lips. "Bones, I did not snort!"

"I am fairly certain that I heard a snort… or a grunt, or some kind of indication that you wished for him to leave. How dominant of you." She said, looking up at him, he seemed a little surprised by her forwardness.

"Can I have a word with you, please?" He whispered, leaning over again as she turned back to the computer.

"I'm working."

"Bones."

"Don't you have work to do too, Agent Booth?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him as he leaned back, surprised.

"I… have to go inform the family, and interview… aren't you coming with me?"

"Do you need me?" She asked, watching him for a moment, she sat up and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I always need you, Bones." He said, pausing for a moment he glanced over to the tech that was standing nearby looking at the two of them. "Can I help you?" He asked, watching the tech scurry away as he glanced back to Brennan.

"Now that was a definite snort." She said as she grinned and turned toward the steps of the platform.

"That was not a snort!" He exclaimed as he followed after her. "Where are you going, Bones?"

"To get my jacket… and that was most definitely a snort."

"Was not…"

"Was too." She said, entering her office with her partner right on her heels.


	65. Moody Booze

When the interviews were complete, Booth drove Brennan back toward the Jeffersonian, and he noticed that she was being rather quiet. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She replied, glancing to her partner, she shrugged. "Why?"

"You just looked thoughtful."

"I'm okay." She said, nodding thoughtfully. "You're just going to drop me off at the lab, right?"

"Yeah. Is that okay, it's nearly five, and I wanted to get a couple of things done, and then we can…"

"Um, I think I'm just going to have something in my office. Do you mind if I stay a little late, and maybe we can meet for drinks after that?"

"That's fine." He replied, watching her a few seconds as he drove. "You're sure you're fine?"

"I am sure that I am fine." She replied, giving him a sideways glance that he had seen many times before, one that said that he should probably stop asking her questions and just go with whatever she says before she kicks his butt.

"We don't have to meet for drinks if you don't want to." He replied, shrugging, watching her as she looked to him and shrugged.

"Let me see how I'm feeling later." She whispered, watching him nod his head as he pulled up to the building.

"Bones?" He said as she gathered her things quietly and glanced to him, her eyebrows raised in question as he gave her a supportive smile. "I love your smile." He shrugged his shoulders and watched as her eyes lit up a little.

"Thanks Booth." She said softly as she quietly climbed from the car and walked toward the building quickly. He watched her disappear into the doors and paused for a few moments in thought, before he made his way back to his office.

--------

It was a little after nine and Booth had been waiting for nearly forty five minutes for his partner to arrive at the Founding Father's bar. She had called him and told him she was on her way, and that had been the last communication. He leaned over the bar a bit, sipping from his beer as he felt someone pull up the barstool next to him. He just glanced briefly, and saw a flash of blonde hair, sighing, he glanced at his phone again.

"Stood up?" The woman spoke up as Booth turned to face her, his eyebrows rose as he acknowledged her.

"I'm sorry?"

"You've been sitting here for a while. I was over there…" She pointed at one of the high top tables. "I noticed you keep looking at your phone, so I thought maybe someone you were expecting hadn't arrived yet."

"Very observant of you." He said, nodding as he smiled.

"Sarah." She said, holding her hand out, she smiled.

"Seeley." He said, shaking her hand politely, he then leaned against the bar and sipped his beer. "And no, I wasn't stood up… my girlfriend is a workaholic." He said with a sweet smile.

"Well, that's not good… leaving her guy to fend for himself against vultures like me." She laughed as he chuckled too.

"I know a little bit about people… and you're not a vulture." He replied. "I can tell."

"Well, thank you, Seeley, that's nice of you to say."

"No problem." He said, watching her order a drink, she settled on her barstool beside him, and they started a friendly conversation.

Sarah was talking animatedly about a blind date her friend had sent her on, when she noticed his attention was ripped away from her and focused on the door.

"Just a second…" He said with a friendly smile, holding his finger up he stood up and walked toward the door where a woman had just stepped inside. She was tall and very pretty, dark hair and piercing blue eyes, Sarah watched as he stepped right up to her, his hand going possessively on her arm as he tilted his head and listened to her. Her gaze shot to the bar and he was explaining something to her, his head shaking as she gave him a determined glare as she talked back at him. Sarah couldn't hear the conversation over the music or the sound of other people talking around her, but she could tell that their discussion was quite heated. She could see that both of them were being stubborn, and she poked his chest with her finger, while he did the same thing directly back to her. It all ended with the woman turning and walking out of the bar angrily, and he rolled his eyes as he walked back toward the bar, sliding into his seat. "Well, that went well." He nodded his head, he rolled his eyes and leaned on the bar, ordering a Jack on the rocks, he took a deep breath and smiled, turning the woman beside him. "So where were we?" He asked.


	66. Just Not Right

Her car pulled up to the gate of the park, and she swore to herself for not thinking about it earlier. Of course the gates would be closed, it was a little past eleven, and it almost seemed darker than usual. She rolled her eyes, knowing that it was probably just darker because the moon was covered by a thick overcast mask of clouds. She climbed out of her car and grabbed her bag, pulling the flashlight from within it, and cursed herself for not having her hiking boots in her car, but in the SUV. She grabbed her pair of tennis shoes and slipped them on, tossing her flats into the car as she looked through her bag to make sure that she had all of the things she thought she might need.

She grumbled to herself as she slammed her car door, listening to the echo of the door on the trees, she felt a small shiver of uncertainty as she started up the path of the campground toward the crime scene. As she walked, she thought of her conversation with Booth in the bar.

----

_Brennan stepped into the bar, and her eyes immediately fell on her partner, sitting at the bar with a petite blonde, sharing a laugh. She knew that jealousy would be a natural feeling to have in this situation, yet there was something stirring in her stomach that made her almost sick, and her head began to feel a bit dizzy as she stared across the room at her partner. Though, she knew these feelings to be natural, she also knew that they were irrational and silly. Booth would never do anything to damage their relationship, of this she was positive. He had never once shown any level of unfaithfulness to anyone he had forged a relationship with, most importantly, herself, and she knew that he would not start now. Suddenly, and not surprisingly, he sensed her presence and turned his head to see her standing at the door, looking tired and hurried. He spoke to the woman beside him and made his way toward her, a smile on his face despite her tardiness, he rested his hand on her arm._

_"Hey…"_

_"I am sorry I'm late, Booth… there's just… there's something not working out with the evidence, and what the family said… it's not working out in my mind. I need to go out to the crime scene." She whispered, watching his eyes as he shook his head._

_"Not tonight, Bones, we can go tomorrow morning… its probably going to rain tonight, and…"_

_"All the more reason to get out there, Booth. If it rains, the evidence could wash away. I need to get out there tonight."_

_"Bones, no. We'll go out in the morning."_

_"I don't think you heard me correctly. I need to get out there tonight… I'm going to go out there tonight."_

_"No you're not, Bones." He shook his head. "I can't go now… I've been drinking… and I can't be on duty when I've been drinking."_

_"Well then you can just stay here, with your friend over there… and I'll just…"_

_"Bones." He said, gripping her arm, he stared her in her eyes. "You know I'm not like that."_

_"And you know that I don't think you're like that, so get your hand off me or I'll break every bone in it." She said in an angry whisper as he moved his hand._

_"You're not going out there." He said, watching her glare. "Tell me you're not going out there." He said, watching her. "Bones."_

_"I'm going home." She said with an angry glare. "You'll find out when you get there which one I'm talking about." She said as she turned and angrily walked from the bar._

-------------

She huffed with an irritated growl down the pathway, her flashlight seemingly dimming as she went, she shook it a bit and continued on when it became brighter. She walked around the corner and noticed some area where it had been trampled, and she felt a sprinkle of rain on her shoulder. "Stupid rain…" She muttered as she rounded a corner, her flashlight catching the reflection of a taillight in the distance, she swallowed hard as she turned the light off and stopped.

She heard rustling in the distance, and she knew she had to be close to the crime scene. Then she heard voices. Two male voices, arguing about something and a flashlight moved across where she had been before she had jumped behind a tree.

_I told you that there wasn't anyone there!_

_I swear I saw a flashlight._

_You're just imagining things, let's just get this thing out of the truck and get out of here…_

_Same as last time? Trash can?_

_Yeah… _

Brennan could feel the anxiety rushing up in her stomach as she stood with her back against the tree, she reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone, she flipped it open and almost cursed out loud when she noticed there was no service, and if matters hadn't been made worse by her current predicament, it started to rain.

---------------

Booth stepped out of the bar and glanced at his watch. Eleven o'clock. He sighed and made his way toward his car, sure that he was okay to drive, after he had a cup of coffee or two after his glass of Jack, and a nice conversation with Sarah. He drove silently toward his own apartment, since he figured that Brennan would go there, since she had brought her bag of clothes over, and seemed to like his place. He pulled up to the apartment and immediately noticed that her car wasn't there. He dialed her number and it went immediately to voicemail. He sighed. "Stubborn." He mumbled to himself as he dialed her apartment, finding no answer, he rolled his eyes and started to get out of the car, when he realized that she had never told him she wasn't going out to the crime scene. With the last words from his lips being that she was 'stubborn', he knew he wouldn't be able to rest if he didn't at least check to make sure she was at her apartment. So he climbed back into the car and made his way over to her apartment, dialing the Jeffersonian security office on his way.


	67. Hanging by a Thread

As soon as he heard that Brennan wasn't at the Jeffersonian, he picked up his pace in the SUV. He had a strange feeling in his gut as he pulled up to her apartment and noticed that she wasn't there, and his heart followed his gut. "Goddamn it, Bones!" He exclaimed as he popped the siren and alarm on, and took off toward the crime scene, phone in hand as he dialed her number again and again.

------------

Brennan stayed behind the tree, knowing that she had no gun, no backup, and no way to let anyone know where she was. Her first instinct as a citizen would be to get out of there as soon as possible, and call the police when she was out of the woods safely. However, Brennan sometimes blurred that line between FBI and citizen, and knew for a fact that if she let these guys go, there was a possibility that they'd never get caught. Her mind was internally debating her options, when her foot slipped and snapped a branch beneath her foot. She internally swore yet again, when she heard the two men begin talking about the sound across the way. One wanted to check on it, the other insisted it was just a deer or something, and Brennan knew that if they came toward her, there was nowhere for her to go, to hide. So she held her breath, trying to remain as still as possible. She didn't know if they had weapons or not, at least until she heard the sound of a shotgun loading, and one man call to the other about how they could have a good meal if he shot him a deer. Brennan just waited.

-----------

Halfway to the crime scene, Booth realized that he wasn't in a hurry, there was no sign of something being wrong, and he knew for a fact that if he got to the campground with his siren blaring and his lights on, Brennan would not be happy with him, and though at this moment he didn't especially care about what she 'thought' or 'felt' about it, he switched the siren off, keeping the lights on for his own sanity, he continued to speed toward the campground. He pulled up alongside his partner's car, cursing about how she never listened to him as he parked directly in front of the gate, flicked off the lights and grabbed his keys out of the ignition as he reached into the center console for his flashlight. He checked to ensure his gun was settled in its holster, and he closed his door quietly. His eyes roamed the periphery, and something immediately caught his eye.

He walked over to the gate and pulled at the chain, noting that the lock had been broken off of it, he thought that Brennan would have at least checked that, but he figured in her fit of irritation at him, she probably just decided to walk it off, and hadn't even noticed the broken lock. It caused a bit of alarm in his gut, but nothing too much. He glanced to the truck and to the trail, and decided immediately that he'd take advantage of the broken lock, so he pulled the chain out of the lock and dropped it onto the floor, pulling the gate open, he walked back to the SUV.

He was just about to get into the truck, when he heard the gunshots.


	68. Shaken Bones

Booth's pedal was to the floor mat before he even closed the door of the truck, and he sped down the gravel road as quickly as he could, gravel and dust spitting out behind the truck as he slammed on his brakes and twisted the truck to face the truck directly in front of him. He was shocked to see a tall, burly, dirty looking man standing against the truck, his hands raised in the air, and even more shocked to find his partner holding a rifle several feet away shouting at him to stay where he was.

He jumped from his truck and could see that his partner was no worse for wear as she stood, shocked by the arrival of the truck that came barreling down the road. She was soaking wet as the rain poured around her, but she remained strong and focused. Shocked by the arrival of the SUV, she pointed the gun in the direction of the man jumping from the SUV, while she kept her eyes on the man at the truck. "FBI, Drop your weapon!" He exclaimed, pointing his gun at the man against the car.

"Booth!" She exclaimed.

"Bones, put the gun down." He called, "I've got him!"

"There's another guy over there, he was going to shoot me! They're dumping a body!" She shouted. Her voice sounded distressed and from what he could tell from the tone, she was frightened.

"Bones, put the gun down!" He exclaimed, watching his partner as she held the gun trained on the man who was standing against the truck, listening to the argument.

"I have him, Booth… just… cuff him, and I'll put the gun down!"

"Put the gun down now, Bones! We have him!" He exclaimed as suddenly, he saw movement from behind his partner, moving quickly, Booth's flashlight shone on a quick figure coming right at Brennan with something in his hands, poised to hit her. "Bones! DOWN!" He exclaimed, swinging his gun in her direction, he watched her drop to her knees immediately, and roll away, just as Booth shot the oncoming person in the shoulder, sending him flying backwards onto the ground. "Now take the gun and get in the goddamned truck and call for backup!" He shouted as he approached the man against the truck. "Were there any others?" He asked, watching Brennan stay on the ground staring at her partner.

"No." She said, shocked as she watched Booth begin to put handcuffs on the man, her ears were ringing as she just stared.

"Bones, get into the truck and call for backup!" He exclaimed again as he watched her stare off into space. "Bones!" He shouted, reaching into the back of the truck, he pulled at the plastic bag in the back of the truck and found a lifeless face staring back at him. "Jesus Christ!" He exclaimed as he pulled the cuffed man to the ground. "Get on the ground and lay there, don't move…" He growled as he holstered his gun and moved to his partner. "Bones!" He exclaimed as he got up to her, she looked up at him as he passed her to the other man, lying on his back groaning about his shoulder, Booth handcuffed his hands in front of him as he held pressure on the wound. "Bones, if you don't get to the truck and call for backup, then we're going to be out here alone for the rest of the night!" He exclaimed as he watched her just continue to sit on her knees several feet away, the rain pouring around them, soaking them both. He wanted to go to her, but he knew that he couldn't, not with the two suspects, one having been shot. Noting that the wound wasn't that bad, he grabbed the injured man and pulled him to his feet, dragging him toward the other man, he made him lie on the ground next to the other suspect as he walked toward his partner.

He kept his eyes on the two men and held his hand out to her, her eyes moving up to meet his. "I'm not going to yell at you." He said as he held his hand out, she watched him for a moment and reached for his hand, she let him pull her up. "Yet." He replied as he reached in his holster and pulled out his gun. He handed it to his partner and looked her in the eyes, in a move of solidarity, and to show her that he had the utmost trust in her judgment. "If either one of them move… shoot them." He said, giving her a look of sincerity as he ran back to the truck to call for backup.

---------------

As backup arrived, and an ambulance arrived, Booth stood back and listened to Brennan's account of what had happened. She had waited behind the tree, trying to remain out of view, when the man came in her direction. As soon as he walked around the tree, the gun came into view, and he didn't see her pounce, but she grabbed the barrel of the gun. In his shock, the man had pulled the trigger, and Brennan was able to wrestle it away from him, slamming him in the side of the head with the butt of the gun, she knocked him unconscious.

She had just gained control of the gun and gotten the other man to stand against the truck when Booth arrived, and from then, Booth explained the rest of what had happened. He watched her sitting in the back of his SUV, wrapped in a blanket, her hair stringy and wet as she shivered, her eyes full of a vulnerable sadness that he rarely saw from her, except in some of their most personal moments, and he knew that she was expecting him to be angry with her.

He had to admit to himself that while he was upset that she had defied him and gone out to the crime scene alone in the middle of the night with no way of communication, he was more upset with himself for not following her when she left the bar angry at him. He knew her to be defiant and stubborn, he knew she would end up at the crime scene with, or without him. The only difference was, he knew she hadn't expected to have a run in with the murderers. Another couple of questions and they were told they could leave, the authorities being left to handle the rest of the details, Booth and Brennan were left at the back of the SUV together. She started to pull herself from the back of the vehicle as he reached for her hand. "Bones?"

"I'm… tired, and wet, and dirty, and I just want to go home." She whispered as she reached for her bag.

"Let me take you back to your car."

"I can walk back to my car." She whispered. "It's not far."

"Bones…" He reached for her arm and she pulled from his grasp, turning sharply, she glared at him angrily.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry! Just drop it, okay? Just drop it!"

"Bones." He said as he watched her eyes blazing back at him, he had that sickening almost grin on his face, the one that made her want to slap it off. "I didn't say anything."

"You're going to." She growled. "You're going to tell me that you told me not to come out here, you told me not to do this, and you're going to say I was wrong… and that I could have been hurt, or killed… and… and I was stupid, okay? I made a stupid decision, and…" He leaned down and kissed her lips softly, stopping her tirade full tilt, leaving her speechless, breathless, and staring up into his eyes as he pulled his lips from hers, tilting his head just a little as he carefully watched the reaction in her eyes.

"We'll talk about it later." He whispered. "At home… but now, I'm driving you to your car… so shut your big anthropologist mouth… and get into the truck and let me do that, so we can go home and get some sleep." He watched her nod her head, her eyes remaining on his as she stepped away from the SUV and let him close the back hatch. She followed his eyes for another moment before she walked around the car and got into the passenger side. He paused for a moment as he opened his door, looking across at her as she sat, sulking in her seat. She looked exhausted and upset, and beautiful at the same time. She noticed that he still hadn't gotten into the truck, and turned her head to look at him watching her.

"What?" She mumbled.

"You are so hot when you kick ass." He said as he climbed into his seat, noticing that she had a bit of a smirk on her face, he held his hand out to her and cleared his throat. "And I'm going to need my gun back."

"Oh." She swallowed as she pulled it from her belt, she handed it to him and watched as he holstered it. "I thought maybe you'd just let me hold onto it for a little longer."

"With your luck tonight, you'd probably end up shooting both of us." He teased as he started the truck.

"No, probably just you. I have very good aim." She teased with a sincere expression, that broke into a smile, as he shook his head and chuckled, as he returned her to her car.


	69. Green is the New Black

Booth pulled into one of the visitor parking spaces as Brennan pulled into the garage for her building. He was silent as they met at her apartment door, her eyes focused on nothing but the key in the lock as she opened the door and walked in, letting him pass as she locked the door. He kicked off his shoes and walked toward the couch, though stopped when he realized his socks were wet, he bent down and slipped them off, turning around to toss them into his shoes as he noticed his partner standing just inside the door staring at him. "What?" He asked, genuinely confused at the look on her face.

"I'm waiting for you to yell at me." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're an adult." He replied, watching her eyes narrow. "You can make your own decisions, Bones." He shrugged. "It was obvious that you had the whole thing under control." He replied.

"You know that's not true." She grunted back at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, obviously not humored by her attitude.

"It means if you really believed that I was an adult… that I could make my own decisions, that you're not actually mad at me right now… if you really believed that, you wouldn't have showed up at the campground tonight in the first place." She said in a low, even tone. "If you really believed that I could handle it on my own, you would not have shown up." She said, pointing angrily at him.

"And it's a damn good thing I did, you almost got yourself killed!" He exclaimed. "You're not a cop, Bones! You should have never have gotten involved in that situation!"

"Here it is! I knew it! Give it to me, Booth! Don't you dare hide behind your little 'supportive boyfriend' crap. Give it to me like you gave it to me last week! Tell me that I'm losing a step! Shout at me and make me feel like crap, Booth! Treat me like I'm just a squint!" She shouted. "If you were a good cop, you would have noticed that the brother dropped a hint at the interview that he had lost something! Something that would have led us right to him anyway!" She said, pulling a plastic bag from her pocket, she walked over to the counter and slammed it down. "If you were a good cop, you would have known that they probably would have found it tonight when they went back to the crime scene."

"When did you pick that up?" He asked, looking at dog tags that the victim had obviously pulled from the neck of the assailant.

"When you were kissing the asses of the other agents that showed up tonight." She growled angrily as she walked toward her bedroom.

"I don't understand why you're so pissed at me!" He shouted, watching her turn angrily in his direction, she held her hand out toward him.

"Because you don't trust me! You don't trust me, and you lied to me just thirty seconds ago when you said I could make my own decisions! I can make my own decisions, Booth, and I decided that I needed to investigate further! If I hadn't gone out there, those men would have gotten away with dumping a second body, and they would have grabbed the evidence!"

"That's ridiculous, Bones! They were sloppy! We would have gotten them eventually. We would have gotten them." He said, taking a step toward her.

"Don't." She said, glaring at him. "Go home." She pointed at the door.

"Bones."

"No, Booth. Go home. I am serious, just… leave me alone, and go home!"

"Why? So you can go off and get yourself killed?"

"Just… Shut up! Why don't you go find your little barfly, and buzz off!" She exclaimed angrily as she stepped into her bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

"YOU KNOW! GREEN IS NOT A GOOD COLOR ON YOU!" He exclaimed as he realized immediately that she wouldn't understand the reference. He stared at her door, expecting it to open, and instead all he heard was the water turning on in her shower. His eyes moved toward the couch, looking at the cushions, he tried to determine if he should camp out on the couch or make the long trek back to his own apartment. He looked down at his disheveled appearance, and knew that he'd need to get up in a couple of hours to head back to work. He glanced to her door one more time, and then the couch, but instead of waiting her out, he decided to head back to his own apartment for a little peace and quiet before his day started all over again.


	70. Freedom is Just Another Word

Brennan angrily yanked the water off in her shower, instantly feeling the coolness of the air around her mixing with the hot steam from the shower. She scowled at her bathrobe as she pulled it onto her shoulders, wrapping herself comfortably within the warm terrycloth, she wrapped her hair in a towel and stepped out of the tub slowly. She listened for any movement in the bedroom, and was sure that he wouldn't be there. They had a fight, why would he stick around unless he wanted to continue it? There was a small tinge in her stomach however, that wondered if he'd be out there, maybe even hoped that he had stayed, but knew that it was probably otherwise. She stepped into her bedroom and found it to be empty, no Booth or even an indication that he had even come inside the room. Her brow furrowed as she walked across the room and stepped to the door.

She held her breath just slightly as she opened the door to the bedroom and peered out into the living room.

He wasn't there either.

He had left, he had actually left. She could feel a burning in the back of her throat, a lump forming as she bit her bottom lip, feeling guilty for kicking him out, for shouting at him, especially after he had very obviously saved her life. She closed her eyes and covered her forehead with her hand as she sighed, picturing Booth's gun swinging in her direction and his order for her to get down, her knees still sore from slamming into the ground. She could feel a burning frustration deep in her chest that she wasn't sure exactly how to identify. She didn't know if she felt guilty, or abandoned, and perhaps she felt a little of both. She had expected him to be there to fight, to argue, to try to win, but he had just given up, he had left, left her behind and gone home, home alone, and half of her wished that he felt guilty for it, but the other half was berating her for letting him walk out in the first place.

"He's a big boy." She pouted to herself as she swung open her bedroom door and walked back inside, turning to slam it closed behind her, she suddenly felt very helpless. For all of the irritation, anger and rage that she felt at this moment, she also felt the guilt of knowing that it was her fault, not an impression of being her fault… not convincing herself of it being her fault. It was her fault. She had told him to leave, she had slammed the door in his face, she had said that she wanted to be left alone, so now she was alone, really alone, and where did that leave her?

In silence.

She moved to the bed and crawled across it, reaching over the edge, she grabbed her bag from the previous weekend, unzipping it, she found the t-shirt of his that she had stolen. She pulled herself back onto the bed and again glanced to the door, noting the two striped socks at the end of the bed, she scowled as she scrambled to the end of the bed and snatched them up, rolling onto her back, she slipped the socks onto her feet, and shook out the t-shirt, and lay it in front of her, pulling off the bathrobe, she tossed the towel from her hair to the end of the bed and pulled the t-shirt over her head and pushed her arms out as she breathed deeply into it. She groaned at herself as she allowed the scent of him invade her senses, she felt sad as she pulled her blankets aside and shoved her socked feet beneath the covers.

She pulled the blanket up to her chest and lay staring at the ceiling for a moment as she suddenly realized that instead of lying in the middle of her bed as she always had, she instead had made herself comfortable on the side of the bed farthest from the wall, unconsciously avoiding the side that he had claimed as his own. She whined out loud and rolled to the center of the bed, grabbing hold of the pillow that still smelled at him and wallowed in self pity as she tried to force herself into slumber.

----------

It was nearly four o'clock in the morning and Booth found himself still awake and still staring at the darkened ceiling. He knew that his partner was only venting. He knew that she was just upset with herself, upset with the situation, and unsure of exactly how to handle him, or her anger now that they were in a relationship. He had left the apartment and stood outside her door for the longest time, wondering if he should go back in or just go home. He wasn't sure if leaving her at this particular point in time could be construed as 'abandonment', but the more he thought about it, the clearer it became that she had told him to leave, and any abandonment issues that could arise from that would simply fall back onto that fact.

She told him to leave.

So after hearing her walk out of her bedroom, and the door slam again, he decided that she was probably better off with her own devices, and she'd be safe since she was too exhausted to leave and get herself into any trouble. He smiled and shook his head a little, thinking of the situation she had gotten herself into. She had really clocked that one guy, and he was certain that if he hadn't scared the crap out of her by coming out of nowhere, that she would have been able to hear him coming again. She was in need of help, but Booth firmly believed that she was most certainly not helpless in that situation. She had handled herself well, and he just felt bad that he had made her so angry, and feel responsible for her situation. However, this was hours ago, and he was sure she was lying in the middle of her bed, sleeping soundly as if all of the world moved around her. He smiled.

He rolled back over onto his side, facing the empty side of the bed that if he closed his eyes, he could smell her scent, and immediately, he missed her. It had only been a couple of days, a couple of days of bliss, but a couple of days nonetheless. He was absolutely, completely taken by her.

Taken.

He started when he heard a noise in his apartment, shifting in his bed, he remained still, unsure if he should get his gun. He reached his arm over the edge of the bed, finding the wooden baseball bat that was beside him, he just touched it with his fingertips to ensure that it was there, pulling his hand back beneath the blankets, he waited. He wasn't even sure if he had heard it now, his mind could very well be playing tricks on him, he thought… until the door of the bedroom opened slowly. He knew it wasn't an intruder for two reasons.

First of all, no intruder in their right mind would open the bedroom door of the person's home they were breaking into that slowly. If they wanted to attack an FBI agent in his apartment, they'd have to move a hell of a lot faster than that, and second of all… he could see her silhouette in the doorway as soon as it opened. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, and her shoulders sagged as she moved across the room less than stealthily. She made no attempt to not wake him as she slid into the bed beside him, pushing her body up against him, she wrapped her arm around his waist and pressed her cheek into his shoulder.

"I have to start locking my door." He mumbled sleepily, feeling her arm squeeze him tighter as her nose pressed into his shoulder blade. "Strange women… climbing into my bed." He mumbled.

"Shh… I missed you." She whispered to him, giving him another squeeze as he moved his hand down to hers and carefully took it into his, entwining their fingers together.

"I missed you too, Bones." He whispered, but the only response he heard, was the gentle breathing of his partner, as her body relaxed against his as she slept. He held her hand securely in his as he gently rubbed her fingers, her scent intoxicating him to the point of sleepiness, and now, wrapped around the one thing that he had been yearning for since he had climbed into his bed, he could finally succumb to the night.


	71. No Place Like Home

When Booth's eyes opened, staring at the clock beside the bed nearly four minutes before the alarm, he expected to be alone. Instead, however, he still had a hand tucked in his own, a soft breath whisking over his neck, wisps of dark hair tickling his cheek. He moved just a little, and she let out a tiny, helpless groan into his ear. His head turned to the side, and he caught a glimpse of her closed eyes, eyelashes long and beautiful, her face looking so peaceful as she slept. He blew a little air from between his lips, watching her nose wiggle as it tickled it, he did it again.

"Stop it…" She whined, feeling him blow more air at her, she opened her eyes and glared at him, which quickly turned into a pout. "You're so mean to me." She mumbled as she started to roll away, forgetting that he still had her hand, he refused to let go for a moment, and her hand slipped from his, he rolled over and wrapped himself around her, burying his chin her neck, she mumbled as he tickled her.

"You came back to me." He whispered into her ear, feeling her shoulder move to block the tickle in her ear.

"I didn't want you to be alone… I know how you get when you're alone." She mumbled.

"Yeah?" He said, smiling tenderly against her skin, he kissed her just below her ear, on her jaw line, feeling her wiggle beneath him.

"Yes… you're a very grumpy man when you don't get what you want."

"And you think you know what I want?" He asked.

"Mmm… yes." She nodded, jumping as the alarm sounded, she felt his arm disappear from around her as he swung his hand to it and turned it off. "Time to get up." She said as she started to move, before his arm came back around for her. She was too slow, however, and his arm pulled around her and pulled her into him, feeling her struggling a bit. "Leggo of me." She mumbled, relinquishing control to him as she sighed.

"Why are you in my bed, Bones?" He asked.

"Because you looked lonely. I came over to get my… bag of stuff, and I…"

"Found out that you were full of crap… I get it…" he said, laughing at the tiny indignant sounds he made.

"I may have misjudged your concern for me last night." She whispered. "I sometimes forget that your gut tells you things… and in this case…" She paused.

"Go on."

"It appears that it was correct." She said in a voice so quiet, that she could almost hear the smile on his face. "And though…" She continued, turning her head to look in his eyes. "Though you did… show up and help me…"

"I know, Bones." He said softly. "You had the situation under control."

"I couldn't have avoided it, Booth." She whispered.

"Well… yeah… you could have, Bones."

"I mean once I was out there." She said, trying to roll away from him, she felt his strong arms remain steady around her, not releasing. "Booth." She whined.

"No." He replied simply. "You're not going to scamper off like a little woodland creature every time we have a discussion. You're going to stay here, and you're going to talk to me without getting mad, without kicking me out, and without blaming me or you. We're discussing… there's no right or wrong here, that's not the discussion… the discussion is how we could have avoided it altogether, would you going with me… sometimes it takes two of us to get a job done, Bones. You didn't even notice that the chain on the gate was broken."

"I was angry at you because you wouldn't go with me." She said, rolling in his arms so she could face him. "I asked you to go with me. I wanted you to be there. I told you that I was going, so it shouldn't have been a surprise. I never promised you that I wouldn't go."

"That is true." He nodded. "I just thought you might wait… since you know… we're a team." He whispered. "We are a team, Bones… we're partners, we do things together. That means, if I don't think it's a good idea to go out to a crime scene, then we probably shouldn't… unless we do it together. You were being stubborn."

"But I was right." She whispered.

"Yeah… you were right…" He replied, conceding that fact. "Listen… just… the next time you want to go off on your own, because I know that you will." He said, giving her a knowing look as she opened her mouth to protest. "Could you at least bring a weapon? Maybe some backup…?" He asked. "I…" He said as he rolled back a little and pulled out the baseball bat that was beside the bed. "I don't even go to bed without a weapon nearby." He said, watching her eyebrows rise.

"And here I thought that Hodgins was the most paranoid of all of us." She whispered, watching his jaw drop as he shook his head and laughed.

"Very funny, Bones… funny." He said, watching the extremely amused smile on her face widen. "And you say that with me holding a bat over your head… very, very brave lady you are, Bones. Very brave… and very funny." He said, watching her smile light up her face as she looked him in the eye as she shook her head.

"You're just hoping you can get to home base with me this morning…" She said, trying to roll away, he tossed the bat off the side of the bed and wrapped his arms around her.

"Home plate, Bones… its home plate… and you bet I'm going to knock one out of the park… right now." He said, connecting his lips to hers, she melted into his arms as they started their day with a love filled apology.


	72. Here I Come To Save The Day!

They were dressed and walking out of the door by nine, a little later than usual, but considering that they had caught the man responsible for their last case the night before, they called their respective bosses and explained that they'd be running behind. Brennan grabbed her keys from her purse and looked to her partner as he looked around the apartment for his keys. "They are on the table next to the couch, Booth." She said without looking up, she heard him sigh and a jingle as he walked around the corner.

"How did you do that?" He asked her, watching her shake her head.

"What?"

"How did you know that I was looking for my keys, and know exactly where they were?" He said, dangling his keys from his finger as he smiled at her.

"Because it was the next step in your morning ritual. I'll see you later… have a good day, and we can meet for lunch if you want." She said, leaning up for a kiss, she stopped when he gave her a confused expression. "What?"

"I figured we could go in together today… you don't need to drive, I'll drive us." He said, watching her consider the possibility.

"Will you let me drive?" She asked, following him out the door, he turned to lock it.

"No." He said, locking the door, he pulled the key and turned toward the stairs, climbing down quickly, he stepped out into the street.

"That's not fair… I asked nicely."

"Bones, you should know by now, being nice will only get you so far." He teased, watching her stop on the sidewalk as if she was considering whether or not she should go with him. "It doesn't make sense for you to drive. The Jeffersonian is first, then the Hoover… it would just make more sense if I drove and dropped you off, that way, we wouldn't have to go out of our way." He said, watching her eye him for a moment.

"Fine." She said, walking toward the truck.

"Good, this way you can't run off and get yourself into trouble." He quipped as she stopped near the door. "What?"

"I'm thinking about your little statement there. Maybe I do want to run off and cause some trouble…"

"I didn't say 'cause' trouble, Bones. I said 'get into' trouble."

"Well, yes, I suppose you did." She said as she climbed into the passenger seat and watched as he got in on his side. "Why do you keep your door unlocked when you're there, and locked when you leave?"

"I welcome the challenge." He replied with raised eyebrows, as he chuckled when she rolled her eyes at him, making her laugh just a little at the ridiculousness of his answer.

He pulled up to the doors that he typically dropped her off at and smiled as she leaned in to kiss him tenderly on the lips. "Have a good day, Boots." He whispered.

"What happened to kitten?"

"Oh, I save 'kitten' for special occasions." He smiled, watching her roll her eyes. "I love you, Bones."

"I know you do, Booth." She said, opening the door to get out, she smiled at him, noting the bit of disappointment on his face. "I love you too." She said, grinning. "Call me to let me know when you're coming to get me for lunch."

"Will do." He said, watching her close the door, he couldn't help but follow her with his eyes until she was in the building, and perhaps for a second or two longer. Sighing happily, he made his way toward his own office.

------------------

She walked into the lab casually, her bag slung over her shoulder as she was approached by Angela, who looked quite nervous. "Did Booth find you last night?" She asked, watching Brennan's irritated glance. "He did… good."

"Yes, he did… didn't you hear about what happened last night?" She asked, looking around, she saw Cam coming in their direction.

"Doctor Brennan… its good to see you're feeling better after your little near death experience last night." Cam poked.

"Near death?" Angela asked.

"I was nowhere near death. I had it all under control until mighty mouse came flying over the hill to rescue me."

"Mighty mouse?" Angela laughed.

"Or whatever cartoon superhero he chooses to be at any given moment." Brennan teased as she walked toward her office.

"So what happened last night… exactly…"

"Booth wouldn't go with me to the crime scene, so I went… and stumbled upon another crime scene… they were dumping another body… they had a gun, but I was able to hold both of them off until…"

"Wait, both of them? You came upon two guys … murderers, dumping a body and you just beat them up?"

"Angela, I can take care of myself." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Brennan… I'm with Angela on this one… you shouldn't have gone out there alone… isn't there protocol or something?"

"Well, Booth showed up and took care of it… it doesn't matter. I work on crime scenes by myself all the time, I don't see how last night should change that." Brennan said defensively, noting that she wasn't going to get anywhere with either of them, both looking quite upset by what she had told them. "Now if you don't mind… I have some work to get done today."

Angela shook her head and sighed, turning for the door. "Fine… I have some programming to do for the facial recognition software…"

"Yeah…" Cam said watching Brennan for a moment. "And I have some phone calls to make." She said, taking a step out of the office, Brennan looked up to watch the two of them leaving her office, she then begrudgingly got back to work.


	73. Making Plans

When lunchtime rolled around, Brennan made her way to the doors again, catching her friend's eye as she passed her office. "Hey Ange… I'm meeting Booth over at the diner, do you want to join us?"

"Are you being serious?" She asked, watching her friend's head tilt a little in faux irritation.

"Of course I'm being serious." She said, watching Angela look to her computer and then back at her friend.

"Actually, I have some things to work on this afternoon… maybe drinks after work?" She asked, watching Brennan nod her head.

"That sounds like a good idea. You and I haven't hung out in a while." She smiled.

"Oh no… you're bringing studly with you, there's no way I'm not getting the scoop on you two with you both in the same room. I'm getting dizzy with all of the misinformation that has been floating around this office.

"I'll see if Booth is up to it." Brennan said, and with only a pause. "He'll be up to it." She said, giving her friend a wave as she headed out for lunch.

She met Booth in the place she usually did, hopping into the truck, she leaned over immediately and gave him a sweet kiss on his cheek, and gave him a slightly confused glance when he almost looked surprised. "What?"

"You just seem like you're in a very good mood."

"And that's an unlikely, and unheard of thing?" She asked, watching him shake his head.

"No… I like it. You've been very relaxed since last weekend… it's very adorable seeing you all relaxed and ready to face the world at full Bones force." He smiled. "Very adorable." He smiled as he drove.

"Adorable…" She mulled as she watched him nod his head. "I don't know if I like being described as 'adorable'… do you have any other adjectives available?"

"Hm… Adorable… precious, sweet, precocious…"

"Precocious?" She said with a snarky grin. "What am I, Shirley Temple?"

"You know who Shirley Temple is, but you don't know who Britney Spears is?"

"Who?"

"Nevermind." He said as he laughed to himself.

"Do we have plans this evening?" She asked, watching him shake his head, glance to her and then back to the road.

"I don't think so… nothing solid."

"Good." She nodded. "We're going out for drinks with Angela."

"It was nice to be informed." He replied, just a little irritated by her presumptive attitude.

"I just informed you." She replied. "That was me informing you."

"Typically, in a relationship… you ask the other person before making plans, Bones." Booth chastised playfully.

"I'm sorry…You're right, Booth." She nodded. "I'm going out for drinks with Angela this evening, would you like to join us?" She asked, giving him a slightly irritated face.

He glanced to her, amused, but immediately noticed that she didn't appear to be amused. "That sounds nice." He nodded, looking back to the road he chuckled to himself and shook his head.

"I thought so." Brennan replied, sitting back in her seat, she smiled as he drove their way to the diner.


	74. Filler Chapter

Brennan finished up her report on the case and walked toward the bathroom to change into some more casual wear for their night out. She was walking through the lab on her way back, when Angela stepped up beside her. "So you're ready to go?"

"It does appear that way, doesn't it?" She said in a serious tone as they neared her office. She turned to see that Angela was watching her carefully. "What?"

"I'm just trying to gauge all of this… you never, ever agree to a drink with me when you're going out with someone, and you have never, ever invited me out. It's very 'Un-Brennan' like." She said as she watched her friend nod.

"Yes… well… you know Booth, and you know me… and we kind of owe this to you."

"Oh hell yeah, you do!" She exclaimed. "All of this secrecy… I told Cam that I thought you two were doing it… she wasn't so sure..."

"And I'm sure you told her that you were correct."

"Well, of course… we've been waiting for this for years!" Angela said as Brennan rolled her eyes.

"Just let me get my keys… you and I can meet Booth there."

"Sounds like a plan." Angela said with a smile, waiting for her friend, the two of them left together.

--------------

Booth stepped out to the bar, looking around for a moment, he immediately noticed the two women over in the corner laughing loudly at something, a glass of beer in each of their hands as Angela looked up and saw him, waving him over to the table. He approached the table and gave an insightful glare as he watched Bones realize that he was sliding into the chair next to her. "Hey." She said with a smile, calming quickly from the laughter that she was sharing with Angela.

"Hey." Booth said, a little nervous about this initial meeting. He had no idea what Angela had been told about them, and knowing this made him a little jumpy. "What are you girls talking about?"

"Oh, nothing." Angela said, letting a small giggle escape, Brennan burst out laughing as Booth gave them both a confused glare.

"Do I have to take the beer away from you ladies? How long have you been here?"

"About a half hour." Brennan shrugged. "Do you want me to go get your beer for you?" She asked as she started to stand up, Booth put his hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes as she smiled at him.

"I'll go get it, Bones… " He said, turning toward the bar. He stood at the bar for a moment, and ordered a beer when the bartender smiled politely at him, he noticed someone sidle up in the barstool next to him.

"Hey handsome." The woman said politely, watching Booth's eyebrows raise as he turned, seeing a dark haired woman sitting beside him, petite and beautiful, she was flickering her eyelashes at him, and he felt a pit of panic in his stomach, knowing that Brennan was just across the room.

"Thanks." He said as he gave her a polite smile.

"My name is Crystal." She said, holding her hand out to him, she gave him a sweet smile, to which he gave her a polite smile and grabbed his beer from the bar, just as he felt a hand in his, and a tug as his eyes crashed with his partner's eyes, and he couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry, but this one is mine." He said, putting his arm around her shoulder and kissing her on the cheek, he let her pull him along toward the table. "Thanks, Bones."

"I'm not yours." She said, turning in his arms as they approached the table, he leaned down and kissed her lips, surprising her. "What was that for?"

"It's my turn to claim my territory…" He said, turning her around just as they reached the table, Angela's smile was bright and happy, watching the two of them as they sat down.

"My God, you two are so adorable." Angela said as she watched Brennan scowl, and Booth's face light up.

"See, Bones… what'd I tell you? We're adorable." He said, watching his partner roll her eyes at him as she sat down and took a swig of beer just as Booth sat beside her.

"You also said that I was precocious… which… I really think was the incorrect term to use to describe an adult woman."

"How about snarky?" He asked, suddenly on the receiving side of an expected scowl, though the smile never left her face. He then leaned into her and caught her ear. "I can think of a few other words, but they would be terribly inappropriate at this time." He said, watching her face turn bright red as he grinned over at Angela. "So Ange… Bones here has been holding out on us."

"What do you mean?" Angela asked, curious. She watched as he put his arm around her best friend, and noted how incredibly comfortable they seemed with the entire thing, as if they had been together for years, and not just partners pretending not to be together. It was comfortable, right, and Angela couldn't deny the fact that her friend looked genuinely happy.

"Yeah, what do you mean?" She asked Booth, her eyebrows raised in challenge as he leaned on the table a little.

"Bones…. Has a Harley…"

"She does not!" Angela exclaimed.

"She does… she told me… she said it's in storage."

"Booth, come on… it's a motorcycle, who cares?" She said, shrugging as she tried to pretend it wasn't a big deal.

"Oh, Bren… you can't be serious…you have to take that baby out for a ride once in a while, you can't just let a beautiful machine sit in storage."

"That's what I told her!" Booth exclaimed. "I think… she should let me take it out for a test run, you know? Since she put our lives in danger last night and all, I think that I should…"

"What? Put your life in danger? Motorcycles are very dangerous, Booth." She explained again. "Per vehicle mile traveled, bikers are about 37 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash and 9 times more likely to be injured." She spouted off as if she were reading from a book.

"Come on, Bones… live dangerously." Booth said, nudging her a little, Angela sat across from them, nodding her head approvingly.

Brennan looked between her two best friends and rolled her eyes sighing. She took a big swig from her beer and shook her head. "I will think about it… but that is absolutely all that I will do." She said, pointing her finger between the two of them, she rolled her eyes once again when the two of them gave one another a high five across the table.

------------

Another two hours later, the stories were flowing and the three of them were settling into a comfortable conversation pattern. Angela was laughing about something they had just mentioned and Booth chimed in. "You think that's funny…do you realize that I've arrested all of the Brennans… at least once." He laughed.

"You did, didn't you?" Angela laughed as Brennan sat up and her jaw dropped as she looked at her partner as if he had insulted her.

"You have never arrested me!"

"I most certainly have!" He laughed.

"You did not! You arrested dad… Russ, but never me…"

"He actually did, sweetie, you don't remember?" Angela asked, watching her friend's thoroughly confused expression.

"Come on, Bones… I even handcuffed you… I had to book you for shooting that guy, don't you remember?"

"Wait, you mean the one that tried to set me on fire?"

"Yeah… and he was unarmed…" He replied. "You shot an unarmed man…"

"You all seem to forget that he was trying to set me on fire!" She exclaimed, her confusion turning to laughter as she rested her forehead on Booth's arm, wrapping her arms around it as she sighed.

Angela laughed at the conversation and sighed, taking a look at her watch. "Oh… I should get going… one more day of work this week, and then the whole weekend to myself." She smiled.

"Yeah…" Booth sighed. "I've got Parker this weekend, so it'll be nice and long…" He chuckled, feeling Brennan stiffen a little on his arm. "Have a good night, Angela… I'll get Bones home safe and sound."

"I'm sure you will." She said as she slid from her chair and smiled at the two of them. "Maybe you can do a little reenactment of that arrest." She winked as she laughed.

"I'll be lucky if we don't get a reenactment of what caused the arrest." Booth laughed as he felt Brennan move from his arm and slide from the chair, getting up to hug her friend, Angela turned and left them and Brennan turned and leaned on the table. "You ready to go?" He asked, putting the money for their bill on the table and watching her nod her head, she looked like she was getting sleepy, and suddenly very thoughtful.

"Yeah…" She said, smiling, she took his hand and tugged on it a little as he stood up and wrapped his arm around her securely. "Booth?" She whispered as they made their way through the crowded bar, he leaned in and put his ear near her lips and waited. "I love you so much." She said, warming his heart, and calming his worries, as he led her from the bar.


	75. Testes, Testes, 1, 2

Brennan was quiet on the drive back to his apartment, and he was glancing periodically over toward her to see if she was watching him at all. She wasn't, and he was a little concerned about that. He wasn't trying to feel conceited, or that he needed her to be attentive at all times, but he knew that there was something on her mind. She kind of had a pinchy look on her face, where her nose crinkled just a little, a look that someone might give something that they had tasted that wasn't quite right, or quite cooked yet. He knew the exact moment that she had begun this silent vigil of thought, and he wasn't exactly sure how to approach it. He cleared his throat just slightly, and she glanced to him, catching his eye before he looked back to the road.

"I haven't thought about what I'm going to tell him yet." He said, her eyes still on him, he knew she was wondering how he knew what she was thinking. "I haven't thought about it yet."

"You're going to tell him, though, correct?" She inquired, watching him nod.

"Of course." He replied. "I'm thinking that I might tell him that I have a girlfriend… see how that goes over first."

"He's never known about any of your other relationships?" She asked, watching him carefully as he shook his head, he looked in her direction.

"He's a kid, he doesn't need to know that his old man is getting some, Bones."

"But this case is different? You and I… we're different, why? You're still… getting some, as you'd call it, but why would you tell him now that you have a girlfriend?"

"Because you're not just a girlfriend, Bones. You're not just a way for me to get some… I really love you, and I love being around you… sex included or not."

"So you're saying that… basically… if your testicles were torn off in a…"

"Bones! Bones! Stop…"

"Freak accident…" She continued. "You would still wish to be my boyfriend?"

"Bones…" He rolled his eyes. "I love you, and I plan on being with you for a very, very long time… and I plan on you being in Parker's life too…"

"Whether or not you have the ability to have sex with me."

"Especially if I have the ability to have sex with you." He grinned as she dropped her jaw in surprise. "What? You asked!" He exclaimed, laughing as she shook her head at him.

"So… how do you wish to handle it?" She asked, tipping her head, she watched him look to the road, and glance to her.

"We'll ease him into it… okay? I'll tell him tomorrow night… answer any questions he has, and then on Saturday, the three of us will do something together. It'll probably be best if you stay at your place this weekend… if you…"

"No, no… absolutely no problem." She said, giving him a genuine smile. She knew how important Parker was, and she also knew that he'd find out sooner or later, and that it was probably a very good idea to ease him into it.

"So… do you want to have dinner with us tomorrow night?" He asked, pulling the car into the parking spot at his apartment complex.

"Booth, I don't think it would be wise for me to be there when you tell him that you have a girlfriend." She said, watching him park the car and glance over at her.

"Why is that?"

"Because it would be awkward."

"Fine." He said, watching her for a moment before glancing out the windshield. "I will tell him before you come for dinner." He said, glancing over at her quickly with a charming grin. She shook her head disapprovingly.

"Fine." She said, rolling her eyes. "But if it gets awkward, I'll leave."

"If it gets awkward, we'll distract him with a shiny object while you and I sneak off and make out." He grinned.

"Booth!"

"What? I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" He exclaimed, laughing as she smacked his arm, climbing out of the car, he followed after her as they made their way toward the apartment.


	76. None Of Your Monkey Business!

When they woke the next morning, tangled in one another, she breathed deeply as she felt him move under her, his bare chest rising and falling beneath the cascade of hair that tickled his skin. "Mmm…" She groaned as she rolled over onto her side of the bed, away from him, and his warmth, she felt his hands moving to her waist and batted them away with her hands. "No…" She grumbled.

"No?" He said, his voice sounding a bit disappointed at her refusal to let him hold her. "Why not?"

"Got to get used to waking up alone." She mumbled into the pillow that smelled so much like him, it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as she groaned into the linens, she felt his hand touching her skin once again and she attempted to roll away from him, finding that she had reached the end of the bed. Just as she was about to tumble to the floor, naked and uncovered, she felt his arms encircle her and pull her across the bed toward him. "Let go of me, you big…"

"Ape?" He asked, as she giggled against him. "I just saved you from embarrassment and a black eye from hitting your head on the bedside table, and you are going to call me an ape?" He teased, letting his hand move to her ribs, she let out a screech and struggled against him.

"No! No!" She giggled. "No, you're not an ape, you're not an ape!" She exclaimed, covering them with a blanket as the doorbell rang. They both stopped and looked at one another.

"Were you…?"

"I don't live here." She replied, looking at him with an irritated glare, a slight smirk marking the corners of her mouth.

"Uh… right." He said, when he was sure he heard the door open.

"Seeley?" Rebecca's voice rang through the apartment, and Booth's eyes widened. "Seeley, are you home?"

"Hang on a second, Bec!" He called, grabbing his boxer shorts, he pulled them on quickly and he threw a t-shirt at Brennan, who threw it back at him.

"Put some pants on!" She whispered at him, watching him wave his hand at her, he threw the shirt on and glanced out of his bedroom door.

"Bec, I'll be right out." He said whispering, he scrambled across to Brennan and pressed his finger to her lips, her hair was mussed and sexy, and she glared at him, with a pout on her lips. "Don't ask… I don't know… just… be quiet in here, okay? I'll talk to her, and get rid of her, I'm sure she just wants to drop off Parker's things."

"She could have called." Brennan muttered as Booth leaned in and kissed her lips softly.

"I know… I mean it, Bones… quiet." He said, grabbing a pair of sweatpants, he showed Brennan, who nodded and sighed, flopping down onto the bed dramatically, she covered herself with the blankets.

Booth slipped from the bedroom carefully sliding out, he looked exhausted, his hair standing on end, and it was quite obvious that he had dressed quickly, his shirt being inside out and all. "Hey…" He said softly, watching Rebecca's eyes widen slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest and let out a puff of air that resembled an irritated laugh, but to Booth, it sounded more like a cat choking on a hairball.

"Did I interrupt something?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No… but it is six in the morning, I usually have another half hour before I wake up… what did you want?"

"Well, I came to drop off Parker's clothes… do you have a woman here?" She asked, tipping her head, looking almost humored.

"Yeah, is that a problem? Me having a relationship?" He asked, watching her stare at the bedroom door for a moment.

"Is she going to be here when Parker is here?"

"Probably… probably some of the time, why?"

"I just don't think it is appropriate Seeley." She shook her head, looking toward the bedroom and back at him.

"Oh, it's not appropriate for me to have a relationship with someone? It's not appropriate for me to be involved, or it's not appropriate for me to have sex in my own apartment whenever I want to?"

"It's not appropriate to bring your son into relationships that probably won't last, Seeley. I don't think this is a good idea." She said, sticking her nose up at him as he let out a sinister laugh.

"You're joking, right? You've had four boyfriends in as many months, Rebecca. I'm sure they sleep over… I'm sure they're in and out of Parker's life more often than you change the sheets on your bed." He said, watching her jaw drop. "And for the record… this relationship is for keeps, Rebecca. It's the real deal."

"Like we were the real deal, Seeley?" She laughed.

"Just leave his stuff, Rebecca, okay? I'll pick him up after school… spend the weekend with him, and you can go on your secret get away with Brad Version 4.9, and he'll go home at the end of the weekend exhausted from all of the fun that we had."

"And hopped up on sugar… no more milkshakes, they make him hyper."

"Sure, Rebecca…" He nodded his head. "And she won't be spending the night when Parker is here. She understands."

"So she knows about him?"

"Of course she knows about him… just… just go, okay, Rebecca? I have to get ready for work." He said, ushering her toward the door.

"You mean I don't get to meet her?" Rebecca said with a teasing laugh.

"Goodbye, Rebecca." He said, opening the door.

"Bye, Seeley." She said, taking one more look into the apartment, she watched Booth wave his hand in her face as he closed her on the other side of the door, locking the door behind her, he shook his head and walked back toward the bedroom. He opened the door and found Brennan beneath the covers, her hands poking out as she looked out at him. She pulled it just so that he could see her lips.

"She makes a compelling argument for having your door locked when you're home, doesn't she?"

He pulled his t-shirt off and laughed. "Oh, shut up!" he exclaimed, throwing it at her as he launched himself onto his bed, making her squeak from landing on her, he grabbed at her as she laughed and struggled to get away from him. "Not so fast, Bones… we still have an argument to finish here!" he exclaimed, sending her into waves of laughter, and a sense of happiness that not even Rebecca could damper.


	77. Chip Off The Old Booth

Brennan stepped into the diner at a little past six that evening, the sound of the bell on the door was a familiar sound that always made her smile, and she noticed the two Booth boys sitting at their table in the back and approached with a smile, getting a grin back as she pulled the chair, Booth grabbed hold of hit and pulled it back for her. She sent him a surprised, thankful look and smiled across the table at Parker.

"Hey, Parker."

"Hi Doctor Brennan." He said, glancing to Booth, he seemed to have a bit of a pout on his face as he ran his finger over the plastic on the menu. Brennan glanced to Booth and he shrugged.

"So… your dad picked you up at school, how was school?" She asked, her words coming out almost forcefully as the boy looked up at his father's partner.

"It was fine, I guess." He shrugged. "Dad, can I get bacon on the cheeseburger?"

"No… you don't need bacon… the cheeseburger itself is going to clog your little kid arteries enough as it is." He said, watching Brennan as she started to interrupt, he shook his head and waved his finger, and she gave him an irritated look as she sighed and looked at the menu.

"Doctor Brennan?" Parker asked as he looked up.

"Yes, Parker?"

"Why do you look at the menu? You always get the same thing when we eat here… garden salad with low fat Italian dressing on the side, a cup of water… and then you steal half of dad's French fries." He said with a smile, watching Brennan laugh.

"Well… if you're so smart…" Brennan said, setting the menu on top of his. "You can order for me." She smiled as he laughed, lifting the menus up, he tapped them on the table and made sure they were straight.

"Wait, does that mean I have to pay too?" He asked, looking to Booth, who shook his head with a slight smile.

"Hey… I'm going to run to the bathroom… If she comes over, just get me my usual." He said, touching her shoulder as he passed by her, he smiled at his son. "Be a gentleman…"

"Don't forget to wash your hands." He said to his father, who gave him a look that he laughed at. "What? You always tell me that…" He said, leaning on the table with his elbows, he looked over at Brennan and watched her for a moment as she sat a bit awkwardly, watching the little boy hang on the table a little, sitting with his knees up on the table.

"So are you going to tell me why you look so down?" She asked, sitting back in her chair, he raised an eyebrow at her as he shrugged.

"I dunno…"

"Come on, you can talk to me." She said, watching him think about it, his eyes moving to the side as he settled back in his chair and swung his feet down, flopping down unceremoniously. She noted that he seemed to have the same problem that his father had with sitting in one place for too long… he couldn't do it.

"Dad told me something today, and… I don't think I like it."

"What is that?" She asked, fairly sure she knew the answer.

"I don't want to tell, because if you don't know… it might hurt your feelings." He sighed, confusing her for a moment. Parker had something to tell her that might hurt her feelings? She couldn't imagine what it could be, so she watched the boy carefully as she leaned forward and he did the same.

"It's okay… I'm a strong person, I think I can handle it." She said in a low voice, watching him lean across toward her.

"No, you're a nice person and I don't think I can do this to you." He shook his head.

The conspiratorial sound in his voice was making her nervous, and she was almost confused that there might be something that Booth hadn't told her that Parker would know. Something that would make her feel bad? "I think I'll do okay." She nodded her head.

"Fine." He said, glancing toward the bathroom. "Dad… has a girlfriend." He whispered across the table at Brennan, just as the waitress walked over and smiled down at the two of them.

"First date?" She teased, referring to the little boy and Brennan as she looked up to the waitress and gave her a confused expression.

"First date?" She said as Parker giggled from his seat.

"Nevermind." The waitress said, remembering who she was talking to just smiled. "What can I get for you guys?"

"I'll have the cheeseburger with extra bacon and extra fries!" He said, eyeing Brennan across the table, who gave him a warning glance at first, but her smile slipped onto her lips as she shook her head. "And Bones will have the large garden salad with light italian dressing on the side with a with a cup of water, and Dad's going to have his usual…"

"Extra fries?" She asked, looking to Parker, who nodded and smiled.

"Okay… I'll go put the order in… it'll be right out." She smiled as she walked away.

"You're not going to tell dad about the bacon thing, are you?" He asked as Brennan shook her head and smiled.

"I won't tell." She replied, looking up to see Booth coming toward the table. "Hey Booth." She said as he smiled and slipped behind her, sitting next to her.

"So, what did I miss?" He asked, sitting back against the seat, Parker grinned.

"Bones and me are on a first date!" He laughed, noticing the very amused smirk that was on his father's face as he watched his partner refuse to look at him, and the pink coloring that moved up into her cheeks as she tried not to laugh.


	78. All Is Fair In Love And Pie

Booth and Brennan sat and talked with Parker while they waited for their meals, revealing nothing to the little boy, whose spirits seemed to be lifted a little bit, and when the waitress stepped over with their dishes, Brennan smiled up at her. "Can you please bring Parker here a chocolate milkshake?" She said, smiling as Parker grinned across the table.

"A chocolate milkshake? Really, Bones?" Parker asked excitedly.

"Of course, what better to soak that cheeseburger up in your belly than a chocolate milkshake." She said as Booth gave her a glare.

"Bones, he's not supposed to…"

"Oh, She won't even know." Brennan waved him off, and he just held his hands up in surrender as he sat back and they watched the waitress disappear behind the counter.

"Hey, wait a minute…" Booth said, pointing toward Parker's plate, where three slices of bacon stuck out from beneath the bun, he shook his head. "I said no bacon."

"Oh…" Parker said, looking at the strips of bacon sticking out. He knew he had been caught. He opened his mouth to say something about it, when Brennan spoke up.

"Must have been a mistake." She shrugged. "It is quite common with the many different customers and orders, that the tickets could have been switched, or perhaps she wrote down bacon, when he said extra lettuce… or…"

"Or you're both full of crap…" Booth teased as Brennan's cheeks turned red, and Parker giggled as he took a big bite of his cheeseburger. "I can't believe you two would conspire against me… I buy you dinner… pie… I take you to the carousel at the park…" He sighed.

"You didn't take us to the carousel, Dad." Parker said, taking another big bite of his cheeseburger as Brennan reached across and snatched up a french fry.

"Well, it looks like I don't have to now… you'll be full of bacon and milkshakes… and Bones here is full of crap…" He said with a laugh as Brennan's eyes widened.

"You're so mean to me!" She exclaimed, grabbing another French fry before he smacked her hand, she dug into her salad as the three of them laughed and continued their conversation.

After a good half hour of eating and talking, their plates were nearly cleaned, and Brennan grabbed the last French fry from Booth's plate, when the pie was delivered. Brennan had chocolate mousse, and the two Booth boys went with classic apple pie.

"Come on, Bones, at least try the pie…" Booth said, watching her patented 'leave me the hell alone' look, with a playful smile that made her eyes sparkle.

"I don't like pie, you know that… stop trying to force me into…"

"Here, Bones…. Try a little bit of mine, it's better than dad's." Parker said, putting a little forkful across the table onto her plate, she eyed Booth as she glanced between father and son. Parker was grinning, and Booth raised his eyebrows to see if she would go for it. She glanced back to Parker and she scooped up the piece of pie, shoving it in her mouth she made a satisfied groaning sound.

"Mm… that really is good…" She said, swallowing the piece as Booth's jaw dropped.

"That's the same pie that I have! Here… try mine…"

"I don't like pie, Booth…" She said, turning toward her own, she put a forkful of her mousse in her mouth and smiled slyly at him with a closed mouth, the look of shock and betrayal was interweaved with a humored grin.

"I can't believe you, Bones… can't believe you would do that to me… we're partners! Partners Bones! That is just… just not fair at all…"

"All is fair in love and pie, Booth." She said, taking a sip of her water, her eyes watering as she tried to hold in the laughter.


	79. Watch it, Boy

As soon as dessert was finished, Brennan walked to the counter to pay for their meal while Booth got Parker ready to go, making sure his hands were clean and he was ready to go. Parker disappeared off to the bathroom while Booth moved behind Brennan, her attention on the woman at the cash register, when she felt a warm breath on her neck. "That better be you, Booth. I'd hate to punch a stranger in the kidney." She said with a humored expression as he laughed in her ear. She turned her head and found him only inches from her face. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to steal one of these." He said, kissing her lips sweetly, she opened her eyes to see a twinkle shining in his. "You're doing great with Parker."

"Of course I'm doing great with Parker. Children have been known to take to me… and Parker is a very well behaved child. He makes it easy to enjoy his company."

"It's because he's like me." Booth replied as he continued whispering in her ear. She turned around to face him when the waitress gave her the change, and he smiled.

"Actually…" She said, tipping her head with a half smile on her lips. "I would imagine that would get quite irritating." She said, kissing his lips softly as she moved around him. She glanced to the bathroom, and Parker was just coming out the door and walking toward them quickly.

"Hey, are we going to the carousel?" He asked as he grabbed onto Brennan's hand as Booth led them from the diner.

"I don't know…" Booth said, shaking his head.

"Oh! Please! Please please!" He exclaimed, hopping up and down as Booth rolled his eyes.

"Yeah… yeah, we can go…"

"Yes!" He exclaimed as he pulled Brennan along with him toward the car, laughing as they all piled into the SUV.

Brennan buckled her seatbelt as she talked about the beginnings of the carousel, and Booth and Parker exchanged a look as she continued. The earliest known depiction of a carousel was found in a bas-relief piece from the Byzantine empire. It dated to around 500 A.D., and it depicted people riding in baskets that were suspended from a central pole, which is essentially what the modern carousel is, only instead of baskets, it is typically horses or benches." She said, noticing that Parker was not playing a video game with his hand held game. She glanced to Booth and he smiled, giving her a knowing look.

"I was listening, Bones." He said, noticing her blush a little as she rolled her eyes and looked out the window.

They made their way to the park, talking and having a pretty good time the whole way. They got to the carousel and Parker picked a horse to ride on, while Booth and Brennan sat on the bench on the other side, waving at the boy each time he passed, and sneaking kisses when he was on the other side of the ride. They even took a seat for a spin around, sitting together on a bench and snuck kisses as the carousel spun in circles.

When they were through with that and they walked back to the car together, Parker ran ahead as Booth chased him. Brennan laughed when he finally caught up to him, and lifted him in the air, the little boy laughing the whole time. "Dad…" He giggled as Booth held him upside down over his shoulder and walked back toward Brennan.

"What?"

"I don't know why you're dating that other girl… when you so obviously like Bones… She's awesome."

"She is pretty awesome, isn't she?" He said, smiling as he jogged back toward Brennan and watched her laugh at the feet sticking up in the air over Booth's shoulder.

"Are you having fun, Parker?" Brennan laughed, looking at the upside down boy as he laughed.

"Yeah!" He said, giggling as they continued toward the car together… this time, with Parker over one of Booth's shoulder's laughing, and Booth's other arm around his partner's shoulder as they walked toward the car.

They made their way toward Booth's apartment, and Brennan was joking around with the two of them. "Hey, Bones… maybe we could play that new game that dad got me for my birthday!" Parker exclaimed as he grinned from the back seat.

"I was thinking we could watch a movie tonight… it's supposed to rain tomorrow, we can play the game then."

"Awesome!" He exclaimed happily. "Dad, can we have popcorn with the movie? Popcorn and um… ice cream."

"Maybe just one or the other… you already had pie at the diner." Booth said as Parker's excitement waned for a moment as Booth parked the car and turned off the engine.

"Bones, do you like popcorn?"

"I do, Parker." She nodded, smiling as she opened the door and climbed out of the car.

Booth paused for a moment, watching her walk toward the building, Parker noticed his father's pause and held the door open for a moment, watching his son in the rearview mirror. "Hey… what's wrong, Dad?" Parker asked, watching his father turn his head.

"Just keeping an extra close eye on you…" He said, a humored look on his face as he gave his son a faux glare.

"What are you talking about?" Parker asked with a nervous laugh.

"Moving in on my woman like that… you should be ashamed of yourself."

"Huh?" Parker said, noticing his father turn to look at Brennan as she turned around and called to them.

"She's mine." Booth said, getting out of the car as he closed it behind him, moving up to catch up with Brennan.

"What?" Parker said, slowly understanding what his father said, and what it meant. "Dad?" He said, jumping out of the car, just as Booth leaned in and kissed Brennan's cheek, he turned and watched Parker's eyes widen as he slammed the door closed.

"NO WAY!" Parker exclaimed, a bright grin lightening up his face.

"Way!" Booth said, laughing as he locked the doors of the SUV with the remote, as Parker ran to catch up with them.


	80. Making Out Is Hard To Do

Parker caught up and literally slammed himself into his father's leg as he swung himself around. "You're kidding, right?" He said, walking backwards grinning as he watched his father continue to walk and shake his head.

"Why do you care so much?" Booth asked as Parker turned around and skipped ahead of them.

"That means that Bones is going to hang out with us more, and we'll get to see her motorcycle, and play video games, and I bet she can play football real good too. You said she's real tough, Dad." Parker exclaimed as Booth chuckled to himself as Brennan laughed, surprised at all of the 'plans' that Parker had.

"You told him about the motorcycle? Booth, you two were in the diner for ten minutes before I got there."

"What can I say, I was excited." He shrugged.

"You're ridiculous." She laughed as they all climbed the stairs together to the apartment. He unlocked the door and Parker ran in at top speed, running right for his room, but not before grabbing the bag that Rebecca had left on the floor for him that morning.

"Why don't you get the movie ready… I'll get the popcorn started, and pour us a glass of wine." He said, leaning down to kiss her tenderly, she watched him take a step toward the kitchen, with his eyes still on her. "What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head, giving him a quick smile as she watched him tip his head. "I'm tough?"

"Come on, Bones… you're kick ass…" He said, giving a little punching motion in the air as he grinned. "I don't think I know any other women who could take down two murderers and not have a scratch on them."

"Truth be told… I did break a nail." She said, holding up her pinky finger, she watched him laugh. "I just don't typically think of it as a life or death situation."

"Just another thing to love about you, Bones." He said, turning toward the kitchen, he disappeared inside as she moved toward the couch. She walked over toward the couch and glanced to the bedroom where Parker had disappeared, and back to where Booth had disappeared and for a moment felt a little out of place. She looked at the dvd player and television in front of her and knelt in front of it, her fingers moving over the buttons as she loaded the DVD. After another moment, she heard the sound of clomping feet coming in her direction and turned to see Parker grinning as he approached her. He was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, and he looked ready for bed.

"Are you going to sit on the floor in front of the couch like me and Dad do?" He asked.

"Well… I guess, probably… is that what you usually do?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "We throw a blanket on the ground and just eat popcorn and watch the movie."

"Then sure… we'll do that." She said, taking her cue from the boy smiled and grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and spread it on the floor as he started to get their spots ready.

"I'll go get you a extra pillow." He said, running toward his bedroom, she watched him disappear into the bedroom, he came out a moment later with two pillows, and a comforter from the bed, dragging them along behind him. "Here, Bones…" He said, setting the pillows up against the couch, he watched her smile at him as he patted the pillow. "You can sit there… and Dad can sit here… and I'll sit in the middle." He said, definitively.

"Sounds good to me." She said, grabbing the remote control from beside the television, she settled back on the pillow and turned the television on as she and Parker waited for Booth to join them. It was another moment, and Booth walked into the room, finding his partner sitting on the floor beside his son, blankets on their laps, leaning against the couch as they watched something eating something gross on the discovery channel. They both looked very interested, and Booth made a face as he approached them, settling on the other side of Parker, he handed Brennan her glass of wine that she set on the other side of her. The little boy moved up a little when he sensed his dad wanted to move closer to Brennan, and Booth stretched his arm around her and placed the bowl of popcorn on Parker's lap since he was between them both, and would need a distraction while they watched the movie.

Brennan handed him the remote, and he smiled as he watched her eyes glittering in the dim light of the room. He leaned just a bit as he pressed the play button for the movie, and just as his lips touched her cheek…

"Hey?" Parker interrupted, without looking behind him. "Don't be making out… there's a kid in the room." He said seriously, grinning brightly when he heard the sheepish laughter coming from the two adults behind him.


	81. What a Funderful World

Nearly three hours later, positions had changed, and the second movie was just finishing when Booth looked down at the body that he had wrapped his arm around, and the smaller still body that she had her arm around. Both of them were sleeping soundly, and he really couldn't bring himself to wake them, so they lay on their sides, the three of them, curled against one another.

Booth leaned over and reached for the remote and pressed the mute button on the television, turning the DVD player off, the cable kicked in, and he started flipping through the channels quietly. Unable to resist, he leaned forward and kissed the top of Brennan's head very softly, breathing in her soft, sweet scent that never failed to make him feel safe and comfortable.

"I should go home." She mumbled, her voice so thick with sleep that Booth could hardly understand what she said.

"You are home." He whispered against her hair, unsure of exactly what she'd say to that.

First there was silence, and he wasn't sure if she had heard what he had said, or if she was even awake when she had spoken. He waited for another moment. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you." She whispered, no pause, no sleepiness. It was clear and strong, and she felt his warm breath flick her hair as he let it release from his lungs, as if he were surprised she was listening. His arm was over hers, the one that extended over the small boy who had pushed against her as soon as Booth had settled behind her. The popcorn had been devoured, and they laughed their way through the comical parts of the movie as Brennan would make an occasional insight to which the boys would each give her a 'huh' look. He stretched his arm over hers a little more, hooking his fingers in hers, he could practically see the small, satisfied smile on her face. "What do you boys usually do, when you watch a movie?" She whispered.

"Well, usually we both fall asleep on the floor, and if we wake up… we head to our bedrooms… but usually, we just sleep on the floor." He whispered into her ear.

"That doesn't sound very accommodating for your back." She whispered.

"Yeah… well…" He kissed her head. "Some things are worth the pain." He whispered in her ear, feeling her body shiver a bit.

"I thought you said I couldn't stay." She whispered reluctantly, her voice was small and vulnerable, inquisitive and very soft.

"I changed my mind."

"Why?"

"Because a night away from you would be hellishly lonely… and besides… You're already here, you're already in my arms… and its far too late for you to be driving home alone. It's a dangerous world out there, Bones."

"And here I am… surrounded by Booths… I don't think I could be any safer, unless of course I was in a panic room with sealed doors and no windows… perhaps…"

"Always thinking, Bones… always thinking."

She wanted to make a comment on what he said, but instead just turned her head. With the light of the television on his features, she could see the shadows of his face. Even in the glow of the screen, she thought he was a strikingly handsome man. His eyes narrowed a bit as he smiled, wrinkling in the corners as his dark eyes caught hers. The darkness of the room hid his pupils from her, but she knew they were dilated with something, passion perhaps? Longing? Love?

"I think I'd prefer being here, though." She whispered.

"No arguments here." He said, smiling just a little brighter. "Absolutely no arguments here." He whispered, leaning forward to drop a kiss on her temple.

"Your back really is going to be ruined, Booth." She whispered. "You're not going to be able to move tomorrow."

"Well… what do you suggest?" He asked, his eyebrows rising mischievously as his voice lowered.

"I'm not sure that would be particularly good for your back either." She said, turning her head away from him, she heard a soft, audible groan.

"Then why tease, Bones? Why would you tease?"

"Booth, your son's head is a foot from my face right now… hush or you'll wake him up…" She tugged on his arm a little and she felt his breath on her ear again.

"I want to kiss your lips." He said, hearing her squeak when his tongue flicked out at her ear, barely grazing the tender skin, she turned her head sharply.

"Behave yourself." She whispered.

"You should know by now that I never behave myself." He whispered.

"And you should know by now, that I already know that about you." She whispered, turning her head, he leaned up, and their lips closed the space between them. A tender, sweet kiss that was cool mixed with warm, their tongues dancing for a moment, until his voice released the low growl in his throat. She pulled her lips from his and smiled, turning her head, he groaned in disappointment. "Booth… it would be one thing to wake him… but we don't want to traumatize him on top of that." She said, feeling his breath on her neck as he let out a soft chuckle.

"Get some sleep, Bones." He whispered across her skin. "I want you to be well rested for all of the fun to come."

"I like fun."

"I like fun with you." He said, feeling her body push into his just a little more, their eyes closed as they finished their night together.


	82. Better Left Unsaid

The next time Brennan rolled a bit, she found that her arms were empty, and her waist was now missing the strong arms that had been enveloping her so lovingly through the night, and her senses were suddenly alerted to the smell of breakfast, and fresh brewed coffee. Her body was no longer just covered with the blanket that the three of them shared, but since had been draped with the king size comforter from Booth's bed, and the sounds of plates being set on the table were louder than usual. "Can we wake up Bones now?" Parker's voice floated through the doorway, and she smiled at the eager sound in his voice.

"In a couple more minutes." Booth's voice followed. "The coffee isn't done yet… Bones likes a good cup of coffee in the morning."

"Well, I could go get her awake, and you can bring her the coffee." Parker insisted.

"You just want her to wake up so that she'll play that video game with you."

"The game is just sitting there, Dad!" He said dramatically. "It needs to be played!"

Brennan's mind wandered a bit, and she was a little confused by Parker's insistence, but she just figured that it was just a way that kids try to get what they want. She pulled the blanket from around her and carefully stood up, listening to the gentle bickering of the Booth boys in the kitchen as she folded the comforter and placed it on the couch, smoothing her hair down as she made a face, realizing that she probably looked awful.

Before they could come out of the kitchen, she snuck quietly down the hallway toward Booth's room, and walked into the bathroom, cleaning herself up so that she was presentable, thought it was morning and she was fairly sure that Booth wouldn't care one way or another. She stepped out of the bathroom, and immediately heard Parker's voice.

"Dad, she's missing!" He exclaimed.

"What do you mean she's missing?"

"Bones… she was here, now she's gone… she's missing."

"She's probably just down the hallway in the bedroom… don't be so dramatic." Booth said, as the sound of pounding feet could be heard coming down the hallway. "Parker, come on… give her some privacy…"

"Bones, are you naked in there?" Parker exclaimed as he stopped near the bedroom, Brennan couldn't help but laugh as she opened the door just as Booth grabbed Parker and started scolding him for being rude.

"No, I'm not naked in there." She said, watching Booth's eyes lift to hers as she noticed a slight pink in his cheeks.

"Hey Bones…" He said sheepishly. "I'm sorry about…"

"No, it's fine… I suppose it was a relevant question." She shrugged as she stepped out of the room, her 'secret' smile on her lips as she passed the boys. "What is for breakfast?" She asked, walking turning to face the two silent boys as she raised her eyebrows and slipped into the kitchen.

There was an obvious pause, perhaps a stammer of words on Booth's part, but after a moment of recovery, he was walking around the corner into the kitchen, with Parker running ahead of him. "Bones, are we going to play the video game that dad got me? We can play it now before breakfast!" He exclaimed as Booth turned to his son and gave him a knowing glare. "Um… or after breakfast is okay too…" He said, running to the table, he slid up onto one of the barstools and waited, smiling happily as Brennan walked around and looked at the different things Booth was cooking.

"Waffles." She said with a smile, feeling his hand on her back as he reached around and above her to pull a mug from the cupboard.

"Here…" He said, handing her the mug. "Get yourself a cup of coffee, go sit down at the table, and we'll start our morning off right."

"I like that." She said, looking over her shoulder at him, watching a smile light up his face, he couldn't resist and leaned forward for a sweet kiss on her lips.

"Oh come on guys… that's just gross…" Parker exclaimed from across the room, sticking his tongue out at the two adults, Brennan watched Booth's cheeks turn pink again.

"Oh, Booth… there's no need to be embarrassed." She whispered, watching the color deepen slightly as she poured a mug of coffee. "If he wants me to play the video game today…" She shrugged. "He's going to have to get used to it." She smiled devilishly in his direction, as an exasperated sigh rang out from the other side of the room, making her giggle as she moved toward her chair.

She sat across from Parker, who had lifted his head from the table and watched her curiously as Booth continued to make breakfast. She gave him a smile as she sipped her coffee. "So how long have you been my dad's girlfriend?" He asked sincerely, his eyes moving to his father, who gave him a slight warning glare, though the boy soldiered on without want for warning. "Cuz you weren't going out when Dad was going out with that Jen lady." He said, watching Brennan's eyebrows lift as she set the cup down.

"Parker." Booth said, his voice was deep and serious, and Parker looked nervous for just a split second until he saw the smile on Brennan's face.

"Jen, huh?" Brennan smiled, feeling that Booth was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"Bones." Booth said, shaking his head as Brennan's full attention remained on the little boy, who was pulling her attention so obviously, that he stuck with it, regardless of his father's protesting.

"Yeah, Jen… she was nice… she went to coffee with us once…"

"Parker, she wasn't my girlfriend."

"When was this, Parker?" Brennan asked.

"Bones, don't…"

"Um… about a month ago or something… we went to breakfast at the diner, and she was asking me all kinds of questions about dad and stuff…"

"Parker, I'm serious." Booth said as he moved to the table, placing the plates of food between the three of them, he watched Parker glance at Brennan one more time.

"She was a lawyer or something." He shrugged, grabbing a waffle from the plate, he ignored his father's glare and ate his breakfast, while Brennan sat with a slight smirk on her face and her eyes on her plate, and Booth sitting quietly, trying to read her silently.


	83. Lost Lunch

It was a rainy day, and after breakfast, not much was said as Parker nearly literally dragged Brennan from her barstool toward the television and the gaming system. She sat on the couch as he played, explaining the different characters, and what buttons he was pushing as he stared at the television screen and continued to play. She sat beside him comfortably watching, when she felt the presence of the other Booth behind her, stepping out of the kitchen after cleaning the breakfast dishes. Turning her head, she found herself nose to nose with him. "Hey." She smiled, watching the smile rise on his face as she cuddled farther into the couch and turned her head.

"Hey…" He said softly, his eyes glancing to Parker, who was shifting in his spot on the other end of the couch, his eyes focused solely on the television. "Did you want to talk about anything?"

"Nope." She said, still not looking at him, she watched the television screen.

"Are you upset or something?" He asked.

"Nope." She said, still not looking in his direction.

"Yes you are." He replied.

"No I'm not." She said, a humored smile on her lips. "I'm not upset."

"I'll explain the… thing later."

"You don't have to explain anything to me." She replied. "You're an adult."

"Yes, but, it's not… it's not what you think it is, it's something different."

"It doesn't matter." She whispered.

"What are you guys talking about?" Parker asked as he glanced to the two adults, noticing that his father had that look on his face that he'd get when he was apologizing for not being able to take him for a weekend, and Bones had an almost sad, knowing smile on her face.

"None of your beeswax." Booth replied, raising his eyebrows at his son, he climbed over the couch to sit between the two of them, and practically landed on Brennan.

"Hey, watch it…" She said, pushing at him, to which he responded by grabbing her waist and making her laugh as he pulled her into his lap and tipped himself so that he could sit and watch the video game.

"Will you two cut it out? You're going to mess up my game." Parker said, sighing as he glanced to his side again, noticing that Brennan had settled in his father's arms, and they looked quite comfortable, his father's face near her ear, looking like he wanted to whisper something to her. "What are we going to do today?" Parker asked.

"I have to go to my place for a while, work on my book a little this afternoon."

"Aw, Bones! You said you were going to hang out with us all afternoon!" Parker said with an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, Bones…you promised…" Booth said, whining into her ear, he felt her bony elbow stick him in the ribs a bit and stopped as he kissed her cheek.

"I have some edits I have to get in by the end of the weekend." She said, shifting in his arms. "Breakfast was delicious, thank you." She whispered.

"No problem." He replied. "When are you going to go?"

"Probably soon."

"Mmm…" he whispered. "Are you sure you're not upset?" He whispered.

"I'm fine, Booth… stop worrying so much."

"I'll tell you about it later… when the walls don't have ears."

"I don't know what that means." She said, sighing as she settled in his arms again, he stretched his arms around her as he kissed her temple.

"Nevermind."

She watched the video game for a few more minutes, with the intention of getting up, but the longer she lay there in his arms, the more comfortable she felt, and eventually found herself falling asleep as the three of them rest lazily on the couch together, enjoying the rainy Saturday afternoon.

----------------

It felt like she had only been sleeping for a moment, but apparently it had been a couple of hours, and the moment she moved, she knew it was a mistake. She felt her stomach clench a bit as she moved. "Bones, are you okay?" Booth's voice was soft in her ear, and she could feel that she was sweating, and her body was beginning to ache.

"I'm fine." She mumbled as she started to sit up, Parker just glanced in her direction, and back to the television.

"Dad, she doesn't look fine." He said, watching the woman start to sit up, her face was pale, and she was moving slowly.

"Bones, are you sure you're…"

"I'm fine, Booth." She groaned standing up, her feet hit the cold floor and she felt a chill run through her body. "I'm just… feeling a little bad, maybe I shouldn't have taken that nap." She whispered, looking down at Booth sitting on the couch, he had a very concerned look on his face. "Bones… you're wobbling."

"I'm not wobbling, Booth… don't be ridiculous…" She said, when she started tasting a coppery taste in her mouth and her stomach was twisting angrily. "I…don't… I don't feel well…" She said as she glanced to Booth on the couch, her face contorted in an agonizing grimace, as she quickly ran for the bathroom, and the next thing the two boys heard was the emptying of her stomach.


	84. Big Brother

Two sets of brown eyes clashed together as the horrible sounds in the bathroom travelled through the apartment. "Did you give her food poisoning?" Parker asked as Booth leapt from the couch.

"No, I didn't give her food poisoning!" He barked, pointing to his son. "Stay right there, I'll check on her."

"You think I want to see her puking?" Parker said, making a disgusted face as Booth glared and ran toward the bathroom. He was surprised to find the door was closed, and turned the doorknob just to ensure it wasn't locked. He cringed as she had another wave of being sick, and he heard an indelicate groan coming from the bathroom.

He tapped lightly on the door. "Bones?"

"I'm fine." She panted from the bathroom, another groan and a whimper.

"Bones, do you need…"

"I need you to leave me alone." She exclaimed from the bathroom, and Booth's mind was racing with what could possibly be wrong.

"Bones… I didn't think my breakfast was that bad…" He said, hearing a stifled laugh.

"Don't make me laugh, I feel like crap." She moaned.

"I'm going to go get you a glass of water, and a towel, okay?" He said, hearing her groan in response. He turned and walked out of the bedroom, toward the kitchen, and passed his son, who was still focused on his game.

"Is she okay?" Parker asked, glancing for a moment at Booth.

"She'll be okay." He said, happy that Parker had at least acknowledged what had happened, and didn't just stay immersed in video game land. Booth walked into the kitchen and pulled a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. He heard the toilet flush in the bathroom, and walked through the kitchen through the living room again.

"Is Bones going to have a baby?" Parker asked, stopping Booth dead in his tracks.

"Excuse me?" Booth said, unsure if he had actually heard parker ask the question he was sure had asked.

"Adam Reilly's mom started puking last year for no reason, and they went to the doctor, and found out that she was having a baby. Adam has a little sister now. I don't want a little sister, okay? So if she is having a baby, can you make sure it is a boy?" He rattled on as Booth continued to just stand, staring at the back of his son's head.

"What? Why would...? Just play your video game." Booth said as he turned and walked back toward the bedroom, and to the bathroom. Just as he reached the door to the bathroom, it opened, and he stood face to face with his partner. She looked pale, sweaty and miserable, her eyes sunken in, her body resting against the side of the door as she stared at him. "God, Bones… you look like crap."

"Thanks." She muttered as she grabbed the glass of water from him, holding it with both hands as she brought it to her lips. He could immediately see that she was shaking.

"Bones… you're trembling…" He said, reaching for the glass, she shivered when he touched her hand, pulling the glass down, she gave him a glare.

"I believe that you would be trembling if you had a… had a…" Losing her train of thought, she grimaced again, turned and headed straight for the toilet again, giving no warning, and no time for Booth to even look away, he watched as she threw up the water that he had just given her. He grabbed a towel from the closet beside the door and walked to the sink, running it under some cool water, he knelt beside her and handed it to her.

"Here." He whispered, carefully waiting for her to lift her eyes to him, he gently pulled her hair back from her temple and tucked it behind her ear, slowly running the cloth over her cheek, he felt her push into it a bit. He could see that she was still trembling, and through the coolness of the cloth, he could feel that she was burning with fever. "Hey…" He whispered, running the cloth over her cheek again. "It's okay… it's okay." He whispered, watching her sit up slowly, reaching up to flush the toilet, she whimpered again. "You're going to be okay, Bones." He whispered. "Come here…" He whispered, tugging on her a bit, he nodded. "It's okay, Bones…" He said, hearing her whimper again as she leaned into him and buried her face in his chest, feeling her body trembling and shaking. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back slowly, tenderly. He could feel the dampness of her clothes from the sweat, smell the sickness in the room, and he knew that it wasn't making her any better. "Let me lift you up."

"I can walk." She mumbled in a raspy, tired voice.

"I know… let me lift you though… you're trembling… I don't want you to try walking." He said, pulling her into his lap as he carefully stood, holding her in his arms. He was just walking out of the bathroom when she looked up at him, her body seeming so small in his arms as he stepped into the bedroom holding her.

"Booth?" She mumbled , a gentle hum in return so that she knew he was listening. "I don't think I feel well." She whispered, hearing a friendly, gentle chuckle from deep in his chest, as she was gently placed on top of the sheets of his bed. He dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead and turned to see a tiny head popping around the corner, watching curiously.

"Parker… can you go get the thermometer out of the cupboard in the kitchen?" Booth said, and without a second thought, the little boy was running down the hall through the kitchen to find the thermometer. After another moment, Parker came careening into the room with a thermometer, and the blanket from the couch. Booth smiled at his son's thoughtfulness and took the items carefully as he watched the boy standing nervously. "She'll be alright, bud… it looks like she just has a case of the flu."

"Thank God…" Parker shook his head as he watched her for a moment as Booth handed her the thermometer. "I'm too young to be a big brother." He said with an exasperated sigh as he left the room, leaving Booth laughing, and Brennan confused and surprised by his announcement.


	85. Cranky Bones

As soon as Brennan had the thermometer in her mouth, she attempted to stand up, only to be grabbed and pulled down onto the bed gently by Booth, who knew that keeping her in one place was going to be a challenge. "You have to stay here for now."

"No." She said around the thermometer, she attempted to stand up, cringing as the headache that had only been a dull ache earlier pounded with her pulse.

"Yes, Bones. You're sick…"

"I'll be fine." She said, feeling the dizziness in her head as he eased her back down onto the mattress.

"Yeah, you'll be fine eventually, but right now you need to lay down and rest. Please?" He said, pulling the thermometer out of her mouth, his eyes widened. "Jesus, Bones… your fever is getting up there." He said, pulling the thermometer from her as she tried to grab it. "Lay down."

"I don't want to lay down." She said, trying to push at him, she felt another wave of nausea. "Oh God." She groaned, falling back on the bed, she rolled into a ball and clenched her middle as Booth watched her whimper.

"Bones, are you okay? Do you need to get to the bathroom."

"No." She groaned. "I need to go home." She whimpered.

"You're not going home, Bones… no way… not sick." He said, just looking over her, he tried to figure out what to do. "I can get you Tylenol."

"It's not going to help." She said, grabbing at the blankets. "I'm cold." She murmured.

"Why isn't it going to help?" He asked curiously, unsure of what her answer would be, she scowled up at him.

"Because I can't keep anything down." She said grumpily, looking up at him with glassy eyes, he could see that her cheeks were now bright red, and her grumpy face was directed right at him. "I don't like you." She said, pouting at him as he let out a slight laugh.

"You don't like me?"

"You got me sick." She mumbled, scowling to herself when she heard him laugh again, she rolled to her side and pulled the blankets up onto herself, batting away at his hands. "I knew I shouldn't have taken that nap."

"I don't think the nap made you sick, Bones. You have looked a little pale all morning." He said, sitting on the edge of the bed, he put his hand on her arm, and felt her push it away.

"Stop touching me… it hurts." She mumbled.

"You're worse than Parker when he has a fever…" Booth chuckled.

"Stop laughing at me…" She whined, she turned her eyes toward him and glared, then covered herself back up.

"I'm sorry." He said, rolling close to her, he tucked his fingers under the blanket and pulled so that he could see her face. "If you don't want Tylenol, then what do you want?"

"I want my stomach to stop hurting." She whimpered.

"I do too." He whispered, leaning forward to kiss her tenderly, he could feel the warmth of her skin beneath his lips. "I am going to go get you some tylenol… and refill your glass of water, and I will get you a trash can… and anything else you want."

"Will you make it warmer in here?" She whispered.

"It is warm in here." He whispered.

"Make it warmer." She mumbled, pulling the blanket over her face, he sighed as he touched her arm again. "Ow!" came her muffled reply from beneath the blanket as he rolled off the bed and toward the bathroom. He grabbed the trash can from beside the toilet and pulled the liner out, carrying it into the bedroom, he placed it on the bedside table, and grabbed the glass that he had brought her earlier. He leaned down and tugged the blanket again. "What?" She whimpered.

"Feel better." He said softly, as he dropped a soft kiss on her nose, watching her eyes take his captive for a moment. "I love you."

She just watched him as she shivered beneath the blankets, watched his sad, supportive smile as he moved away from her, his dark eyes doting on her even when his hands were busy with something else. She always felt safe with him, and would give anything to be able to reach out for him and pull him down beside her so that he could hold her. "I love you, Booth." She whispered, another shiver running through her body as she whimpered, feeling her stomach twisting. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Boots." He whispered.

"Bones."

"Kitten." He whispered, smiling when he heard a slight giggle from beneath the blankets. "Get some rest." He whispered.


	86. Is Bones My New Mummy?

Booth walked into the kitchen and pulled a water bottle from the cupboard. He filled it with ice water and went about looking for a cloth that he could use to cool her skin. He hadn't asked her if she had any other symptoms, so he decided to plan for the worst. He checked the cupboards to ensure that they were fully stocked with chicken broth, he shook off the thought that she would be stubborn enough to fight him on trying to get something of sustenance in her body, and sighed as he went through the different medications that he found. Tylenol, some medicine for her stomach, a cool cloth, check. He turned around, and nearly ran into the small figure directly in front of him. "Whoa… hey… what's up?"

"Is Bones going to be okay?" He asked, a curious look on his face that Booth tried to smile away, but found that it would not be that easy.

"She's going to be fine, bud. She just needs a lot of rest, and some fluids, and…"

"And someone to rub her back?" Parker asked. "When I'm sick, mom lets me lay on my side and she rubs my back… not over my shirt like you do, but under my shirt… it prickles a little bit at first, but after a little while, it feels good… do you want me to ask her if she'd like that?"

Booth just looked down at his son and nodded. "I'll… see if that works…" He replied, unsure of exactly what to say.

"She likes to put a cool cloth on my forehead too, that always seems to help. Is that what you're going to do?"

"Yes, Doctor Parker." Booth teased as he smiled, holding up the cloth. "Any other advice?"

"Yeah… don't make jokes." He said shrugging. "The worst thing you can do for someone with a tummy ache is to make them laugh."

"Okay… so… rubbing and… seriousness?" Booth asked, tipping his head as the little boy nodded his head.

"And don't let her cover up too much with the blankets… just cuz she says she's cold, doesn't mean she is cold… she could sweat a lot… and get dehy…dree..hy…drehydated."

"Drehydated?"

"Yeah, that's when you don't get enough water in your body and you shrivel up and dry out like a mummy."

"Right… water good, mummification bad." Booth nodded. "Rubbing… seriousness, and water… this is starting to sound like some kind of Olympic sport. Listen, you sit down on the couch… play the game a little longer, then when she's sleeping, you and I can sneak out of here and get some groceries, pick up dinner… and then the Phillies game is on tonight."

"We don't want to miss that." Parker said with a bright grin, giving his father a high five as he ran toward the couch. Booth grabbed the things he'd need to bring into the bedroom and walked through the living room. "Good luck, Dad. Tell Bones that I hope she feels better."

"I'll tell her, Parks… and I'll make sure I use that very important advice."

"Good." He grinned, going back to his video game as Booth sighed and walked into the bedroom. He immediately saw that she was cocooned in the comforters, and he knew that any movement was going to send her into an angry tirade if he so much as made one of her muscles ache. He approached the bed slowly, and carefully sat on the edge. "Hey." He whispered, leaning across the bed, he rested his head on the pillow and tugged very lightly at the blanket. He heard a growl come from beneath the blankets. "I have your Tylenol… some stuff for your stomach… and a bottle of ice water… I'm going to set them on the table next to the bed." He whispered. "After you get some rest, Parker and I are going to go get you some food that you might be able to eat, does that sound okay."

He heard a grunt from beneath the blankets. "What was that?" He whispered.

"Don't even mention food." She said, poking her face from under the blankets, he could practically feel the heat radiating off her body.

"God, Bones… you're really burning up." He whispered, holding the cool cloth in his hand, he offered it to her and she gave him a painful grimace.

"No…" She whimpered.

"Here…" He said, tugging at the blanket a little, he placed the cloth on the other side of her, beside the water bottle. "Let me have the blankets."

"No… Booth, stop terrorizing me…" She mumbled, holding tightly to the blankets.

"Stop being such a baby…" he whispered, tugging the blankets from around her, he draped himself with them.

"You're going to get yourself sick." She whined. "You're going to get sick, Booth." She whined. "Then you get sick, and I'll be sick…" She sniffled a little, trying to clear her throat. "Then nothing will get done, and there's only one toilet… can you imagine that? That would be awful…" She rambled for a moment as she felt his arms circle her, and his hands carefully sliding beneath her shirt. She wiggled a little under his grasp, the prickling achy feeling was overwhelming, and for a moment, she wanted to cry. She then felt his hands on her skin, cool and tender, slowly running circles over her burning skin. "Mmm…" She groaned, half in irritation, half in pleasure.

"Is this okay?" He whispered.

"I don't have much choice, do I, you big, mean ape." She mumbled, when she felt his fingernails run on her skin, sending shockwaves through her spine. "Booth!" She squeaked, pushing against him.

"Sorry." He whispered. "Just relax, baby." He said, feeling her hot face against his cool cheek as his hands slowly rubbed her skin, allowing the air to touch it. "Just relax."

"Mm…" She groaned, melting into his touch as he held her so tenderly. "Still an ape." She grunted playfully.

"Just close your big anthropologist mouth and rest." He whispered, and all he received in return, was a soft and gentle sigh, as she relaxed completely in his arms.


	87. Sniper Shot

Booth's arms remained around her for a very long time, the heat of her body was moving through his own clothing, and he could feel himself beginning to sweat from the contact. There was part of him that wanted to move, knew he needed to move, but another part of him didn't want to disturb her. He could feel by the labored breathing that she was sleeping, at least for now, and periodically she would sniffle or cough. He was amazed by how quickly this illness had hit her, and was feeling horribly that it was making her feel so bad.

He moved his arm a bit, sliding it from beneath her shirt, and he could hear a low, grumble as she protested. He smiled to himself knowing that she seemed comfortable with him holding her, and regretted just a little more that he was going to have to leave her for a little while.

"Go home..." She mumbled against him, her eyes still closed as her hand moved up and grasped weakly at his shirt.

"Go home?" he whispered back. "Bones..." He said, listening to the light wheezing coming from his partner. "Are you okay, Bones?" He asked, hearing a mumble of something unintelligible, he waited for a moment. "I couldn't understand you, what was that?" he asked.

"Go home…" She whined.

"Bones, I am home…"

"No!" She cleared her throat. "I want to go home." She whined.

"You're not going home." He said, his voice was serious, if not for a bit stern. "No way…"

"I can take care of myself." She mumbled.

"Bones, you can't even get out of my bed… you're not going home. I know you won't take care of yourself properly, and you'll try to stay up writing… you're staying here, and you're resting. Parker and I are going to go and run a few errands, but you are staying in this bed." He replied, waiting for an argument, he rolled away from her and noticed that her eyes were closed, and she had a scowl on her face. "I am serious, Bones. There is medicine right there next to you, a bucket… water, drink the water if you can." He said, knowing that he could say one thing that would truly test whether or not she was asleep or awake. "Parker is worried that if you don't drink enough water, that you're going to turn into a mummy." He said, pausing with a humored smirk. When she didn't answer, he rolled the rest of the way off the bed and stood up, looking down on her sleeping body once more.

He then turned and walked slowly, and quietly out of the bedroom.

Brennan lay on the bed for several moments, hearing the latching of the door, she listened for Parker to get his shoes on, and Booth to usher him out the door, and when she heard the door open and close, she sighed.

Groaning to herself, she slowly moved across the bed, each movement aching, and lifting her head would make the room spin, but she held onto her stomach, and closed her eyes and somehow managed to sit on the edge of the bed. She shivered as she sat up, the cooler air of the room slamming into her skin like a runaway train, she looked to the floor and saw one of Booth's sweatshirts sitting discarded by the closet door and carefully stood up, feeling the room spinning, she stumbled across the room and managed to lift the sweatshirt off the floor. "Stupid…" She mumbled. "This is stupid… I can take care of myself… I don't need… big ape…" She mumbled.

She carefully pulled the sweatshirt over her head, anchoring herself against the wall for a moment of support, she shoved her arms in the sweatshirt and stumbled across the room, feeling her lungs burning and her stomach twisting as she tried to decide whether or not this was a good idea. She rested her face against the cool door for a moment, contemplating turning around. She opened the door and stepped out into the living room, stepping forward, she nearly fell over when she heard his voice.

"And where do you think you're going?" he said, watching her eyes widen as she looked up and straight into his eyes. Booth shook his head, though his lip was curled up just a bit in an amused smile.

"Home." She said, trying to take a step forward, she suddenly started to teeter, and it wasn't but a second, and he was right in front of her.

"You were right, Dad." Parker said with a laugh. "She was trying to escape!" He exclaimed.

"I am fine, Booth… I'm fine… I just got to get my keys, and go home, and…"

"And crash your car into a building, a light post, a tree, or a person…no, Bones… absolutely not…"

"But I'm fine!" She exclaimed, glaring at him as she suddenly got a surprised look on her face.

"What?" He said, his own eyes widening in surprise as he felt her fingers grip him.

"I'm sorry!" She whined, as suddenly, her stomach couldn't hold any longer, and she vomited, right there, all over herself, all over Booth, and all over the hard wood floor. As soon as she was finished, she got one good look at Booth, covered in vomit, shocked and not at all amused, and she began to sob.

"Aw Bones!" Parker exclaimed. "Great shot!"

"Parker! Towels! Now!" Booth shouted, springing into action, he lifted the now crying woman into his arms and rushed into the bathroom to clean them both up.


	88. Bonessitting

Towels were thrown, and fits were thrown, and by the time Booth was able to get Parker occupied, and Brennan and himself cleaned up and the miserable feeling woman that was glaring at him from his bed, back into the bed, he was exhausted. "But I don't want to rest." She whined.

"No, instead, you would rather get sick all over me again. Bones, just… go with me here, okay? Just stay in the bed, and rest. I am leaving Parker here with you, I have to run a couple of errands."

"You can't leave Parker here with me, I'm sick!" She exclaimed.

"Ha! You admit… you're sick."

"Well, of course I'm sick." She said, trying to sit up. "I can't care for a child when I'm bedridden by your orders." She glared. He put his hands on her shoulders and lay her back down, covering her with the blankets. She had been able to get a Tylenol down, and her fever was a little better, but she still was pale and warm. She rolled onto her side and covered herself in the blankets, looking up at him as she sighed.

"First of all… Parker can pretty much take care of himself. He has my phone number if there are any problems, and he has Angela's phone number if he can't get to me. He knows how to dial 911, and he knows not to answer the door when I'm not home."

"You've left him here by himself before?"

"No, Bones." He sighed. "I need you to stay here and rest, please…"

"I'm sorry I got sick on you." She mumbled.

"I know you are, you already told me that." He nodded. "It's fine."

"It's not fine." She said, her lower lip sticking out as she watched her partner walk around the room as if he were looking for something. "I am, however… leaving Parker here while I run errands. I won't be gone long."

"But I thought you were going out with him, to get both of you out of the apartment."

"I was going to do that, but that was before you went Exorcist all over my favorite t-shirt."

"I don't know what that means." She mumbled.

"It means…" He said as he leaned down and looked her directly in the eyes. "That you are staying here, and I am taking your car keys just in case you decide on any funny business. Parker is in charge… and he'll be keeping an eye on you, so you had better behave because he is a blue ribbon tattle tale."

"They actually give out ribbons for that?" She asked, watching Booth shake his head.

"Rest, Bones… please." He said softly. "Is there anything I can get you?"

"If it were anatomically and physiologically possible, I assume I'd ask you for a new stomach." She said, reaching for his hand as he chuckled. They shared a soft, tender, beautiful moment of silence, their eyes lost in each other's, as they had a conversation with their eyes, until of course, Brennan decided to speak up. "I thought you were leaving." She muttered.

"Wow, Bones… I think you've run through all of the dwarfs with your many moods." He said, watching her steadily as her eyes showed the confusion within them. "Sleepy, Sneezy, Doc… Grumpy… Snotty, Meanie…"

"That's only six."

"I'll leave that last one up to you." He said, leaning down to kiss her nose. "Now rest… rest… don't leave the bed, I don't need you puking on my son… please."

"But you could be contagious too."

"It is a risk I'm willing to take." He said, kissing her nose again. "Sleep, Bones, please…If you're feeling better later, we can watch the baseball game together."

"Oh, yay…" She coughed sarcastically as she pulled the blankets harder into her body. "Bye, Booth."

"Bye, Bones…I love you, very much."

"Yeah." She sneezed. "You only irritate the heck out of the ones you love, I got it." She said, letting a smile slide over her face as he shook his head and laughed.

"Sweet dreams, Bones." He said, as he turned and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. "Call out to Parker if you need anything, he'll be glad to help out."

----------

Booth walked into the living room, finding Parker smiling from the couch. His video game paused. "Is she okay?"

"She'll be fine… I'm going to run out, pick us up a pizza and run a couple other errands… you stay here, and keep an eye on her, okay bud?"

"Okay."

"If she needs anything, like water or whatever… she'll call for you." Booth said, as Parker nodded. "I have my phone… and the numbers are all right there…"

"Dad, I got it… don't worry. I can handle Bones."

Booth smiled as his son gave him the most serious look he had ever seen on his face and nodded his head. "Don't you let her bully you around…" Booth said, winking at his son, who just grinned. "Thanks, Parks."

"No problem, Dad." He said, watching his father grab an extra set of keys on the table next to the door, and pocket them, as he disappeared out the door.


	89. He Means Well

Brennan was snuggled in the blankets, breathing in the scent of the man who the scent belonged to. Her eyes were closed and she was quite oblivious to everything around her, for the sake of her own sanity. Since she had last gotten sick, all over Booth, no less, she was feeling a little better, but her head still throbbed, and her fever was still making her feel awful. When Booth had left the room, he had been sure to turn the light off in the room, and though the light filtered in from outside, she was cocooned in her blankets, feeling very far away from everything, and for her, it was enough to make her anxious.

She tried moving again, contemplating braving the wrath of Booth's clone in the other room. She could always ask him to bring her the bag in the living room, but knew quite well, that the little boy was told that nothing was to distract her from resting. Nothing, of course, except for a visit from Parker Booth himself.

The door opened slowly, and she didn't see it, but rather heard it as the little boy tiptoed across the floor. He climbed up onto the bed beside her and sat up against the headboard, settling on the bed as she listened. She heard him fiddling with something that he had picked up from the bedside table, and she wondered to herself what it was, but deep down didn't care, as long as it wasn't sharp, or poison, or a gun. She was just about to turn her head when she felt something coming very close to her face. She turned her head quickly, and Parker yelped in surprise.

"Don't puke on me!" He exclaimed, dropping whatever was in his hand, he watched Brennan's eyes on his face and he was having a very difficult time reading the expression. "Sorry." He said in a whisper. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't wake me up, Parker." She said. Her voice was rather raspy, and her eyes were moist from sneezing so much. She didn't want to scare the poor boy, so she tried to remain calm.

"I was just going to check your temperature." He said, lifting up the ear thermometer that Booth had brought in. He had told her it was a precaution for if she refused to use the one that goes in her mouth.

Brennan watched him for a moment, and he seemed a little sad, staring at the thermometer, it was as if he thought he was in trouble. Needless to say, it was a familiar facial expression, since he shared that with his father. "It's okay, Parker." She whispered, watching the immediate smile adorn the boy's face… yes, just like his father.

"So can I check your temperature?" He asked, holding the thermometer up, he smiled.

Brennan didn't want to tell him no, he was being protective and sweet, and getting her temperature taken shouldn't be too painful, so she nodded. "You know how to use that thing, right?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah…" He nodded, leaning over toward her, he gently placed it in her ear and pushed the button, hearing it beep, he pulled it back

Brennan immediately began to rub her ear, the strange sensation of having a fever and something in her ear struck her as a very irritating feeling, and she whined a bit as she watched Parker look at the thermometer.

"One hundred and one degrees." He said, showing her the numbers. "That's a fever, right?"

"Yeah." She grumbled.

"It was pretty cool when you puked on dad." He said suddenly, looking at the thermometer when he talked. "One time, when I was a kid, like… a year ago or something, I got real sick too, and I threw up all over mom. I didn't mean to, just like you didn't mean to throw up on dad, but…"

"Can we please not discuss vomit?" She mumbled as Parker nodded.

"So you're dad's girlfriend now?" He asked, rolling on his side, he watched Brennan watch him back.

"I guess so…" She said, smiling a little through the throbbing headache.

"I always thought you were already boyfriend and girlfriend, because you always hang out a lot together." He replied. "I think it's pretty cool."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." She said, unsure of what else to say to him. "Parker…" She whispered, watching the look of concern on the boy's face, she realized she had said his name in a way that conveyed her pain to the little boy, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh! You're trying to sleep… I'm sorry…" He said, tipping his head, he watched her for a moment. "I'll let you sleep." He said, smiling as he climbed down from the bed and watched Brennan give him a grateful smile. "Feel better, Bones. If you need anything, I'm right out there."

"Thank you, Parker." She said softly, as she watched the little boy wave and disappear out of the bedroom.

------------

She fell asleep for what she thought was maybe an hour, maybe two, but only ended up being close to a half hour. She wasn't sure what roused her from sleep and just assumed she had a dream that she couldn't remember. That was when she heard a loud crash and shout.

"Parker?" She called weakly. "Parker, are you okay?" There was a very long time of silence, no answering from the little boy. "Parker?" She said a little stronger. She started to move in the bed, sitting up, she could feel a wave of dizziness, and she tried to stave it off as she neared the edge of the bed. The cool air slammed into her skin, and she tried one more time to call him, before running out into the living room. "Parker!" She called, when after a moment, the door opened.

It opened slowly, and only his face was visible. "Did you call me?" he said. His voice was small and soft, and it looked like he had tears in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked, the first question to come to her mind before even, 'What on earth are you doing out there?'

"Uh huh." He whispered.

"Come into the room…" She said, sitting on the edge of the bed, she needed to check to make sure that all of his body parts were accounted for, because if he had gotten hurt when Booth wasn't around, she would feel very guilty, not to mention knowing how guilty Booth would feel.

"I…"

"It's okay, I'm not going to be mad." She said, coughing a little. "What's going on out there?" she asked.

"I dropped your soup." He said, stepping into the room, his t-shirt was soaking wet, and he had bits of carrot and celery stuck to it.

"Oh! Did you get burned?" She asked, trying to stand up, he ran over to her quickly.

"No, no! I was just putting it in the microwave, and it tipped, and fell out." He said, his lip protruding in sadness. "I was just trying to make you soup, I'm sorry. I broke dad's bowl too."

"Aw… come here." She said, beckoning him to come nearer, she looked at his messy t-shirt and smiled. "It was very thoughtful of you." She whispered.

"Chicken soup always makes my tummy feel better when I'm sick. Dad's going to be so mad at me."

"He's not going to be mad, come here…" She said, watching him come around the bed, she smiled at the little boy. She pulled him in for a chicken soup covered hug. "You were very sweet." She said, feeling him hug her back.

"So you're not mad?"

"No, of course not." She said, looking at the little boy and smiling, she looked down at her shirt and picked off a piece of carrot. "However, you're going to have to get that mess cleaned up before your dad gets home… do you need help?"

"No, no, I can do it… you should lay back down and go to sleep." He said with a smile. "I'm sorry I woke you up again."

"It's okay, I'm just glad you're okay. You are okay, right? You didn't get cut or anything?"

"No."

"Don't forget to change your shirt…" She said, giving him a wink. "Leave no evidence behind."

"Right." He said with a smile. "Have good dreams, Bones." He said, his sad eyes now replaced with happiness as he ran from the room.

Brennan watched the little boy disappear through the door and smiled to herself. He was certainly his father's son, and there was no doubt in her mind about that.


	90. Nursemaid Booth

Booth walked into his apartment slowly, unsure of the havoc that he would encounter, though fairly happy that the building had not been burned down in his absence. He figured that would at least be a good sign. He stepped through the threshold, holding his grocery bags in his hand and immediately spied his son sleeping on the couch, the television on, with cartoons blaring, he smiled at the thought of a Saturday afternoon nap, and how it was turning into a Saturday evening nap that will probably prevent his son from getting to sleep at a reasonable hour.

He stepped into the kitchen with the bags, and started to unload them slowly, putting the refrigerator items in the refrigerator, and the other items in their designated cupboards. He turned to see a sleepy figure approaching him, just as he reached the trash can to toss something away, he immediately noticed the remnants of a glass bowl, and a wad of saturated paper towels on top of it. He just dropped the items in the trash and turned around.

"Hey." He said with a smile, the look of fear on his son's face wiped away and replaced with a smile as soon as he saw that his father hadn't 'noticed' the earlier mess.

"Hey." He smiled back. "Bones is still sleeping."

"Good." Booth said, walking past his son, he rubbed his head with his hand. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her… I bought you some popsicles as a prize. Go grab one."

"Awesome!" Parker exclaimed, running toward the freezer.

"I'm going to go check on Bones." He said, turning around, he walked toward his bedroom.

Booth walked into the bedroom quietly, closing the door solidly behind him, and he stared for a moment at the lump on the bed. She appeared to be sleeping fairly soundly, the snoring was sweet and tender, nothing that a construction worker would find out of the ordinary. He smiled as he sat on the edge of the bed, in what he thought was in front of her, since he could see no other part of her body sticking out of the covers. He very slowly pulled the blanket to reveal her face and stopped himself from waking her just yet.

He watched her eyelids move, as her eyes moved beneath them, dreaming what he thought could be pleasant dreams. Her lips were formed in a slight frown, and her nose wiggled as it whistled with each breath.

He put his hand about an inch from her cheek and could immediately feel the heat radiating from it. It appeared that her fever was once again high, though at least she was sleeping, when suddenly, she gasped. The gasp made him jump slightly, and she turned her head quickly from him, a deep, low groan emitted from her throat. Her head moved back in his direction and her eyes were open, open wide, but filled with fear. Unseeing and empty of anything but fear, and he knew she was dreaming. "No." She whimpered.

"Bones." He said, leaning down to hold her, he pressed his forehead to hers and could feel the fever.

"Let go of me!" She screamed suddenly, pushing at him.

"Bones, it's me… Bones, it's me, wake up." He said softly, evenly.

"Let go of me now!" She shouted, grabbing his shirt, she pulled at him and tried to push him away. "Where is Booth?" She exclaimed.

"I'm right here, Bones. Bones… I'm right here."

He could feel the fever had gotten high enough to cause these night terrors, and her entire body was sweating, and he rolled her out of the blanket quickly, and she scrambled against him, shouting as she tried to get away from him. "Stop! Stop!" She screamed, and as the cold air of the room, hit her body and the sweat on her skin evaporated into the air around her, she woke up, her eyes cleared instantaneously, and she found herself staring into the frightened eyes of her partner. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and she felt horribly embarrassed.

"Did you have that dream again?" He whispered.

"Again?" She said softly, her mind jumbled with a million thoughts. She couldn't remember telling him about the dream, she couldn't remember telling him what she had seen in her mind. She didn't remember telling him what had terrified her, but his words, the thought that he already knew what she was seeing, what she was screaming from, what she on the verge of tears from, that comforted her.

"The cabin." He whispered, watching the confusion in her eyes dance like a flame, flickering from one of his eyes to the other, flickering, until the realization caused the invisible wind to stop.

"Yes." She whispered, remembering his words from the cabin, the dream that he always had, and his attempt at calming her and bringing her down from her tower of embarrassment. "But it was so real." She whispered, shivering suddenly as her body recognized its lack of covers, she grasped for them, and he held her hand back.

"Let your body cool off a little, Bones… you're burning up."

"But I'm so cold." She whimpered.

"I know you're cold… not long… just let me get you some sheets to cover in, and not the blanket. It's making you too warm." He said softly. "I got you some broth, some Popsicles for your throat… and some flu medicine that will help you with your cough and your stomach all combined, and hopefully bring down the fever." He said as she watched him above her, she had the sweetest smile on her lips.

"You're the best nursemaid a girl could ask for." She said with a laugh that turned into a cough.

"Watch it there, Bones…" he said as he leaned in, and her coughing slowed, but the slight smile was on her face. "Sarcasm may do you in…"

"Mmm…" She whispered, holding his shirt, she pulled a little and his lips touched hers tenderly. "I am a risk taker." She said softly.

"Answer me one question…"

"Hm?"

"Why do you smell like chicken soup?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Booth…I'm a vegetarian." She said, pushing him away weakly, she smiled at him. "I'm still cold…" She whined as he nodded and stood up straight.

"Right… sheets… and medicine… right on it." He said, leaning down for a quick kiss.

"Booth." She said as she held his shirt for another moment. "He meant well."

"And he's all in one piece, so it's all good." He said, kissing her forehead softly. "I'll be right back." He said, turning quickly to get the things he had promised.


	91. Stick a Needle in my Thigh

Booth walked out of the bedroom and turned the corner, finding a sheet in the linen closet, and turned to see his son standing behind him with a popsicle lined face. "Is Bones okay?" He whispered.

"She's alright." He nodded.

Parker slurped nervously at his popsicle. "I heard her yelling for you to stop, were you hurting her?" He asked, his voice was strained slightly, and his eyes were very concerned.

"Do you think I would hurt her?" He whispered.

"No." Parker shook his head.

Booth pulled the sheet off the shelf and crouched down to his son's level. "You've gotten sick before, right?"

"Dad." He said in a teasing tone, knowing his father knew that he had gotten sick before.

"Yeah, I know… but sometimes when you have a really high fever, like Bones… you tend to have nightmares."

"Oh." Parker nodded.

"She just had a really bad nightmare in there."

"Can I go in and check on her?" He asked.

"You don't trust your old man?"

"No, Dad. I mean… make sure that she doesn't have another nightmare." He shrugged.

"Let me bring her this, and get her new medicine… you go get another bottle of water, and knock on the door, and then you can come in and tell her sweet dreams… and we'll go watch the ballgame on the couch."

"Okay!" Parker exclaimed, running in the other direction, trailing a drop of popsicle here and there along the way.

Booth turned around and walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind him, he found Brennan covered up in the blanket again. He chuckled to himself as he walked around the bed, her sleepy eyes were closed, and when she opened them, he tipped his head as he felt bad for her, though after a moment, a smile lit up her face just a moment. "You were taking too long." She said, seeing the humored look on his face, she was grateful that he was being so sweet. Just when she thought he was going to pull the blanket from her hot, sticky body, he lay beside her instead and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close, his eyes dark with passion as he just continued to watch her. "What?"

"What?" He whispered.

"You're looking at me like a cat before it pounces on a mouse." She whispered. "Might I remind you that there is a very impressionable eight year old in the next room, whose mother… though would be very humored to find out that you and I have decided to consummate our surrogate relationship… would be quite angry if she found out that you were giving me that look when her son was mere steps away." She raised her eyebrow at him.

"Aw…" He said with a smile. "Even sick, you managed to squintify me."

"Squintify is not a word."

"There you go again… it's adorable." He whispered, kissing her nose, just as a light knock came on the door. "Hey… that's Parker… he wants to check on you… he heard your nightmare." He said, watching a bit of fear in her eyes. "It's okay, I told him it was a nightmare… he knows what a nightmare is… he understands, but he wants to check on you, is that okay?"

"Dad, can I come in now?" Parker called.

"Well… get up …" She said, pushing at him, he didn't realize how close to the edge of the bed he was and rolled completely off the bed and onto the floor with a loud thud.

"Dad? Are you okay in there?" Parker said again, hearing his father's voice muttering, and a stifled giggle from the bedroom as well, as after a moment the door opened. His father was holding his arm, and Parker looked up at him curiously as he held a bottle of water in one hand and the minute traces of a popsicle in the other hand. "I brought the water like you said." He said, looking into the room. "Can I talk to Bones now?"

"Yeah, yeah… talk to Bones now…" He said, giving her a faux glare as she just smiled at him over the covers. He couldn't help but smile back at her. It felt good to make her laugh, even if it was at his expense. He watched Parker rush to her side and hand her the bottle of water, licking the popsicle remnants from the stick, he started chewing on it as she talked to him, and he laughed and he pulled it from his mouth and said something else to her in a whisper. He giggled and then ran toward the door, past his father. "Hey…"

"Hey, what?" Parker asked, noting the stern look on his father's face for his misstep. "Sorry…"

"Game is on in ten minutes?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be right out… get our chips ready."

"Okay!" Parker exclaimed, running down the hallway as Booth turned to see Brennan watching him.

"Chips? Poker?"

"No, Bones…" He said, approaching her. "Poker? Really? With Parker? On a Saturday night?" He asked, leaning down to kiss her tenderly.

"That's right, you wouldn't play…"

"Poker is for Thursday night, Bones." He said as he kissed her again and pulled the blankets from her, quickly replacing them with the sheets as she pretended she was going to kick him.

"Mean, mean, mean…" She said as he wrapped the sheet around her and held her close to him as he lie beside her. "I love you." She whispered. "I appreciate what you've done for me, just… so you know."

"I know you do, Bones." He whispered.

"No one has ever been so diligent in making sure that I get better when I've gotten sick. No one has ever taken care of me like this since I was a little girl." She whispered.

"That's because you don't let people take care of you." He replied.

"No one has ever earned that right." She paused as she pressed her cheek against his. "Until you." She whispered, hearing a soft hum as he turned his head and pressed his forehead to hers.

"Well… you'll get your chance to take care of me and Parker when we catch whatever it is you have." He teased tenderly as she started to laugh a little, letting it slip into a cough that she tried to stifle. "Easy there, Bones… it wasn't that funny."

"No… no it wasn't…" She said, coughing a little harder she tried not to laugh. "Stop making me laugh!" She whined as she pushed at him a little. "Booth!" She exclaimed, coughing harder.

"Hey… hey… relax, it's okay…" he whispered, suddenly very concerned when she couldn't catch her breath. "Just relax… deep breaths… come on…" he said, and when she finally stopped coughing, she was breathing deep breaths. "You okay? Bones, are you okay?"

"I'm okay." She whispered, though she was wheezing. "I'm okay…"

"We should take you to the emergency room." He said, starting to get up.

"No." She said, grabbing him. "It's just a cold, it's just a cold…" She said, whimpering. "It's just the flu, they're just going to tell me to take antihistamines, antihistamine-decongestants, Benzonatate, or guaifenesin… which is just as good as any medicine the doctor at an emergency room could give me." She said, wheezing a little.

"Yeah, well maybe the emergency room's guano cillin…stuff is better than the stuff you get at the… what are you laughing at?"

"Guano?" She started laughing again, coughing as he tugged her arm, her face was turning red as she continued to cough.

"That's it… you're going to the emergency room." He said, tugging her arm a bit, he tried to get her to stand up.

"No! Stop!" She said, catching her breath. "Just give me the medicine you purchased, and we'll try that." She said, watching him with tears in her eyes as she stared at him. "Please? Can we just try that?" She asked as suddenly, there was pounding on the door.

"Hey in there!" Parker exclaimed from the other side of the door. "I know Bones isn't sleeping now, so why is she yelling?" He demanded.

"Just go watch the game with Parker." She said, noting the beaten puppy dog look on his face. "Please?"

"Bones, I really think…"

"I think I need a little time alone." She said, curling into the sheets. "Just leave my medicine there, and I'll be fine." She said, trying to give him a soft smile, he just watched her for a moment as she asked him again with her eyes. "I will tell you if I need to go to the emergency room, Booth." She replied. "I promise."

"You promise?"

"Stick a needle in my thigh…"

"It's eye, Bones… stick a needle in my eye…"

"Ow…" She whispered. "Why would you do that?"

"I don't know." Booth said, watching her perplexed look. "Take your medicine, rest… and I'll bring you some broth a little later." He said softly. "You've got to be starving." He paused. "Metaphorically speaking." He corrected, as her mouth closed and she gave him a half smile, and rested her head on the pillow. "Sweet dreams, baby." He said softly as he kissed the side of her head, stood up and walked quietly from the room.


	92. Beautiful and Pitiful, Same thing?

The game was in the fourth inning, and the game was tenuous. The two Booth boys were on the edge of the couch as one of the Phillies players hit a line drive down the middle sending high fives and shouts into the air as the celebration stopped midway through as Booth noticed the bedroom door opening slowly. He heard her coughing before he saw her, and immediately stood. "Bones?"

"Mmm…" She groaned as she walked into the room. She was wrapped tightly with not the sheet, but the blanket from the bed, and her face was pale and sunken in, sweaty and she just kept coughing, her hand up to her lips as she whined pitifully. "I wanna go home…" She whined as he approached her.

"Unless you have some ancient voodoo Buddha Hindu curse that can make you all better at your place, you're not going home. Do you want me to take you the hospital?" he asked pulling at the blanket, she scowled at him and pulled it tighter, her body shivering extensively. "Bones, you're burning up… come on, you have to stop covering up so much with the blanket." He said as he pulled at it, only receiving a scowl in return.

"I want my bed… and my blankets, and my medicine… I want to go home." She pouted, leaning on him, he could feel her shivering beneath the blanket. "I want to go home." She whined.

"You have two choices." He said, lifting her chin to look into his eyes. "You can either stay here with us, and have a little bit of broth, and see if you feel better, or you can go to the hospital, but there is no way that I am taking you to your place and leaving you alone, not looking like this."

"You said I was beautiful." She whined.

"Now you look pitiful." He said, watching her scowl become even more pronounced, her eyes narrowing.

"Take me home." She whined, stomping her foot. "Take me home, take me home…" She turned to see Parker watching her from the couch, his eyes curiously, he swallowed hard and looked a little nervous.

"That's right… you're acting like more of a baby than the eight year old… come on… sit down on the couch and I will get you some soup."

"I just wanna go home." She mumbled as he led her over to the couch and tried again to pull the blanket. "I will bite you, don't think that I won't."

"That is not funny." He said, pulling the blanket, she continued shivering. "I'm getting the thermometer, go settle on the couch."

"I don't like baseball." She mumbled. "It's just a corruption of the English game, Rounders… where the players actually ran clockwise around the bases rather than counter clockwise, and there were similar games… in… Romania and…" She was interrupted by a cough. "And in… Russia…" She said, attempting to catch her breath, but the cough just kept coming, and coming, and her face turned red as she finally sat down on the couch, doubled over as she continued to cough.

"Bones, sit up." Booth said as he reached over and reached for her shoulder, he pulled her into a sitting position and she whined as her coughing slowed, Parker sat on the other end of the couch watching carefully and quietly. "Bones, come on… just put your feet up there…" He said, leaning over, she glared at him with glassy eyed disdain as he helped her pull her feet onto the couch.

"Turn the heat up, it's freezing in here." She mumbled.

"Hush." He said, leaning down, he kissed her scowling face and turned around. "I'm going to get your soup, stay there… Parker, if she tries to move, tell me."

"Okay." Parker said, glancing to Booth, he looked back to Brennan as she pouted.

"Traitor." She mumbled, sighing as she started to cough, this time, unable to catch her breath again, tipping forward, she coughed more.

"Bones, sit up…" Parker mumbled nervously. "Bones, are you okay?" He said, watching her lean forward, he watched her face turn red as she coughed harder and harder. "Dad! I don't think Bones is doing okay… I think she needs water!" He called. "Dad!"

Booth came in quickly with a bottle of water and the ear thermometer, he helped pull her back and he noticed how strained her breathing was. She looked like she was about to cry, and her red face was turning pale again as she started to hiccup. "Come on, Bones… you have to breathe…" He said, kneeling down in front of her he handed her the bottle of water. "We're going to the hospital." He said, watching her shake her head. "We're going to the hospital, Bones. No arguing." He said, putting the thermometer in her ear carefully, he held her eyes steady and looked at the thermometer, his eyes widening as he tossed it onto the couch. "I don't care if I have to carry you out of this apartment, Temperance Brennan, but you're going to the emergency room with me and Parker right now." He said, watching her teeth chatter as she gave him a pitiful shake of her head. "Parker, go get my keys, turn off the tv and grab my cell phone off the table over there… get your shoes on…"

"Is she going to be okay, Dad? You said before that she was going to be okay, and now she's getting worser…."

"Parker, please, just help." He said, helping Brennan into a standing position, he pulled the blanket off of her and helped her toward the bedroom. "I'm just going to get Bones cleaned up a little, and we'll be on our way."

"Okay, Dad." Parker said nervously as he ran to get his shoes on, trying to remember the other things his father told him to remember, all the while praying in his mind that Bones would be okay.


	93. You're The One

As soon as Booth entered the bedroom with Brennan, he could feel her fall against him weakly, unable to hold herself up properly as he walked her across the room. "Bones, you have to walk with me here." He said softly as she murmured something soft and unintelligible.

"I am ready to go home." She said softly.

"You're not going home, stop it." Booth said, bringing her into the bathroom, she was floppy and pliable, her body shivering was the only involuntary movement she gave as her breathing rattled. "Parker, just sit on the couch and wait for me, I'll be right out with Bones, okay?" He said, hearing his son answer in the positive.

"Booth, its so cold." She whined, her eyes drooping as he carefully lifted her into the bathtub and began to run cool water into the bath tub, all the while pulling at her clothes, she let her head fall back as she clenched her fists. "No, the water is too cold." She said, reaching forward, he pulled her back and placed her against the tub softly.

"Just say there, Bones." He said, pulling her clothes off slowly, though they were wet , it was easier than undressing her and then putting her in the bathtub. He grabbed a cloth and began to run it down her body slowly, watching her lip stick out as she looked at him, she was dazed and completely out of it. "Bones, your fever is way too high… it's way too high, I have to try to get it down a little bit, okay?"

"Mmm…." She said, her breathing rough and ragged as she let tears roll down her cheeks.

"Aw, Bones… don't cry… it's okay… just relax."

"I'm trying, I'm trying to relax, but you're hurting me." She said, taking a deep breath, at least as deep as she could get it, she began to cough. "It hurts." She whimpered. "I thought that a bath was supposed to be sexy, Booth. This isn't sexy at all…" She whimpered.

"I promise, when you're feeling better, we'll have a nice, sexy bath together, baby." He said, running the cool cloth over her skin. He pressed the cloth into her cheek and watched her eyes , wide with what was almost fear, but was most certainly confusion. "I love you." He whispered tenderly. He watched her shiver so much that her teeth were chattering, her lips turning a light purple as he finally decided to get her out of the tub. He reached down and drained the tub, reaching behind himself, he grabbed a very large towel and wrapped it around her, noting that she was right, the entire experience was absolutely devoid of romance or anything, it was simply an act of friendship and love, in an attempt to bring her 104 fever down to a more manageable level. He very carefully leaned down and helped pull her to her feet, her knees buckling beneath her for a moment until she regained her balance.

"I hate this so much." She groaned. "I hate, hate it… why am I sick? It's not fair." She whined as he kissed her temple and let her complain, instead of answering any of her hypothetical questions. "Do you think it's fair?" She mumbled.

"It's not fair, Bones." He agreed, walking with her toward the bedroom to help get her dressed again.

----------

Parker sat on the couch with his feet dangling, pounding the couch as he listened to his father and Bones' voice coming from the bedroom. She looked very sick, and he thought for a moment about how he thought her throwing up was scary enough, but now she was coughing like crazy, and couldn't catch her breath. He yawned a little and glanced to the clock, noting that it was almost ten o'clock, a little past his daily bedtime, though he always stayed up late at his father's house. He glanced to the door and sighed, flipping his father's phone around in his hand, he was surprised when it started to buzz.

He saw the phone number on it and smiled, flipping it open. "Hello?"

"Parker? Why do you have your father's phone?" Rebecca asked, her voice was slightly concerned, but it wouldn't be the first time that Parker had answered Booth's phone.

"Oh, he's busy."

"What is he doing?" She asked.

"He's in the bedroom with Bones." Parker said, innocently enough.

"He's where?"

"In the bedroom with Bones… they took a bath, and now they're getting dressed…"

"Parker, let me speak to your father." Rebecca said, her voice sounding incredibly concerned as she spoke in a very stern voice.

"I'm telling you, Mom… he's busy… I'll have him call when we get to the hospital." Parker said, hitting the 'off' button, he snapped the phone closed and put it in his pocket as he slid from the couch and ran to the kitchen to get a juice box. He had been to the emergency room a couple of times before, once with a broken arm, and once when he got hit in the head during t-ball. He knew that it was going to be a long wait, so he grabbed two juice boxes and made his way to the living room, just as the door to the bedroom opened.

"Are you ready?" Booth asked, holding Brennan carefully as they walked through the living room toward the couch. He leaned down and picked up the thermometer.

"Don't put that in my ear again…" She whined as he ignored her request and put the thermometer in her ear, and pushed the button, reading out her temperature a degree below what it had been before. She started to cough a little, and he held steady.

"Alright, let's get going…" Booth said, nodding toward the door, Parker swung around and tossed the car keys in his father's direction and watched as he caught them and helped Brennan toward the door, her feet almost dragging as she shivered against Booth.

He walked slowly with her, and Parker walked a bit ahead, making sure to open the doors they were walking through as they approached them. "Come on, Bones… pick up the pace a bit…" Booth said as she coughed and slowed even more.

"Can we go by my apartment on the way there?" She asked, looking up ahead to see Parker opening the passenger side door, they approached it and he helped her inside.

"Why?" Booth asked curiously, pulling her seatbelt around her as she wiped her nose with the tissue in her hand.

"So you can drop me off." She coughed, slipping a smile on her lips that made Booth laugh out loud as he shook his head and closed the door, chuckling all the way around the car to the driver's side.


	94. Lights and Sirens

As they pulled up to the hospital, Brennan turned her head and glared at Booth as he drove to the front of the building. "Booth?" She said, getting his attention, he looked to her and she knew what she was thinking.

"What? I'm just… dropping you off at the door with Parker." He said, knowing full well the hell he'd get if he insisted on a wheelchair or any other extraordinary measures to get her into the emergency room. "Parker, you lead her to that bench over there… and make her sit down until I park the car." He said, watching his son nod his head, he looked to his partner as he stopped the car. She glared at him through red rimmed eyes, and he shook his head and laughed a little. "Hey, you're lucky I didn't use the siren and lights. Do you need help to the bench?"

"No…" She coughed, and it was just a second, and he was out of the car. "Booth!" She called as he walked around the side of the car and opened the door, reaching for her hand. "What, you're not going to take my seatbelt off and throw me over your shoulder in some kind of…" She watched him come closer. "Don't you dare." She growled.

"I'm kidding, come on…" he said, holding his hand out to her as she reluctantly gave him her hand.

"You're going to get sick, Booth." She coughed a little as she started to get out of the car, losing her footing, she stumbled a bit, right into his arms. She looked up at him, expecting a cocky grin, but was met with simple concern. "Thank you." She whispered, forgoing the 'hero' comment on the tip of her tongue in the possibility that he had something more to say to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah." She nodded, allowing him to lead her to the bench. Parker sat beside her and reached for her hand.

"I'll stay here with you, Bones." He smiled, as his father gave his head a playful rub with his hand as Booth hurried to the car and drove it to the parking space. It wasn't but three to four minutes, and Booth was jogging up the sidewalk.

"Did you use the light and siren to park?" She whispered as he held his hand to her. "I'm going to stick with the one I already have." She said, holding up Parker's hand, she let Booth help her from the bench as they led her to the emergency room waiting room.


	95. Lion Heart

They had been there for only forty minutes and Booth had flashed his badge at least three times. The nurses were not impressed, and Brennan was about ready to tell him to just leave her there, watching him pace back and forth. Parker sat beside her, watching his father pace nervously.

"Bones?" Parker said as he looked up at the woman who was now layered with two hospital blankets that were requested because she told Booth that she was cold. She looked over at the little boy who was obviously nervous. "Do you ever watch the Discovery channel on TV?"

"I don't have a television." She said, sniffling a little, she gave him a sympathetic smile and he looked surprised. "You know that."

"Oh, yeah, right." He smiled. "Well, on the discovery channel, me and Dad saw a special on lions… and Dad is doing that thing that lions do."

"That thing that lions do?" Brennan inquired.

"Yeah… they walk back and forth in front of the girl lion to protect her…"

"Huh…" Brennan nodded.

"Yeah…" Parker said as he stood up. "Know what they do then?" He said, tipping his head, he looked to his father. "Dad… can I go to the bathroom?"

"Sure." Booth said, nodding his head, he continued pacing, and Parker turned toward the restroom.

"Parker?" Brennan said as he turned and looked toward her curiously. "What do the lions do then?" She asked.

"They eat their babies!" He whispered, turning to run toward the bathroom, Brennan gave a lopsided grin and watched the little boy grab hold of the handle at the bathroom and swing it open, disappearing inside.

Booth turned and flopped heavily into the chair beside her. "What were you two talking about?"

"Lions…" She shrugged, giving him a 'no big deal' face.

"That's an odd thing to be talking about in a hospital waiting room." He said, giving her a scrutinizing look.

"He's a child… he's imaginative, we were just talking… You and I can have a different conversation if you'd like." She shrugged.

"Okay." Booth said with a nervous smile. "What would you like to talk about?" He asked, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "That Tylenol is kicking in again." He whispered.

"How about we talk about Jen." She said, a sly smile slipping over her lips as his eyes widened.

"Bones?" He said, somewhat loudly, and immediately realized. "Seriously? You want to talk about that here? Now?" He laughed.

"Now is as good a time as any." She said, tipping her head.

He looked up just as Parker walked out of the bathroom. "You know what? I just… I have to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." He said, standing up quickly, he approached his son. "Wash your hands?"

"Yep!"

"Good… go keep Bones company."

"Okay…." He smiled, running over toward Brennan, he hopped into the seat beside her, and Booth disappeared into the bathroom.


	96. Where are my Bones?

When Booth walked out of the bathroom, he saw Parker sitting alone on the bench, swinging his feet watching the television on the ceiling mindlessly. "Parker, where is Bones?"

"She's with the doctor." He shrugged.

"What?" He asked, his eyes widening as he glanced around, and sure enough, Brennan was nowhere in sight.

"Don't worry, Sir." A nurse said as she walked up to him. "Your friend asked if we'd keep an eye on him, that you'd only be a moment." She said politely as Booth smiled a fake smile.

"So she's back with a doctor?"

"Yes, Sir. She said that you would want to go back there with her, but that she's fine and doesn't need a babysitter." She smiled an equally fake smile back at him and turned around to head back to the nurse station.

Booth stared after the nurse for a moment, not horribly surprised that she would insist that Brennan would insist she was fine alone, he looked at his watch and noted that it was nearly eleven thirty. He turned to look at his son and noticed that Parker had fallen asleep leaning on his hand, his head still directed toward the television. Booth sighed, smiling just slightly as he moved toward his son, tipping him a bit so that he could lay his head down on the cushion of the little bench chairs, Parker pulled his feet up unconsciously and curled into a ball. Sighing, Booth sat down beside him and unconsciously ran his fingers through his son's hair, staring blankly at the television screen.

Booth was fine for the first ten minutes, remaining still and comfortable in the chair, his mind was beginning the wander. The next ten minutes, his left leg was tapping slightly, just a bit, not too much. By the time forty five minutes passed, his leg was in full jumping motion, and after nearly an hour and a half, he was standing up again, pacing back and forth in front of the chair his son was sleeping in, and at almost two hours, he was mumbling to himself, the object of many eyes staring in his direction as he approached the front desk for the sixth time. The nurse didn't even look up, and she knew who was standing at the counter.

"She's being discharged right now, Mr. Booth." The nurse said sternly as he sighed, rolling his eyes, he was walking back to the chairs, when he heard the loud clacking of shoes on the floor. He thought nothing of it until he heard her voice, and the whining, irritating voice that was released from her throat.

"Seeley Booth!" Rebecca exclaimed, as Booth stopped in his tracks at her absolutely frantic approach toward him, completely shocked at her appearance.

"Rebecca?" He said, stepping forward as not to awaken Parker with his mother's obvious freak out. "What the hell are you doing here?" He said, watching her look around her.

"What happened? Is he okay?" She said, trying to get around him.

"Parker? Parker is fine… why are you here?"

"Parker said you were at the hospital… I had to go to four different hospitals looking for you! What on earth are you doing here if he's fine?"

"We're not here for Parker, we're here for Bones."

"That's another thing!" Rebecca exclaimed as Booth tried to calm her down.

"Can you keep it down, please?" Booth whispered, looking around at the four or five people in the emergency room for this hour in night. "Just keep it down…"

"Fine." She huffed. "I called, and your son said that you…"

"You called?" Booth replied.

"Yes… I called… I called at almost ten thirty… and I…"

"Parker answered?" Booth said as he looked to the little boy. "Crap… he must have had my phone… I thought I left it at the apartment." He said, rolling his eyes.

"That's not the point!" Rebecca exclaimed. "The point is, your son said that you were having a bath? A bath with your partner? What is going on, Seeley?"

"Bones is sick." He said with a sigh. "She has an extremely high fever… she needed to be cooled down."

"So that's what partners do now, huh? They do everything together, huh? Your son was in the other room, and you were in the bathtub with a woman!"

"First of all… Rebecca… keep it down." Booth said, turning her away from the prying eyes. "Second of all… I was clothed, and so was Bones for the most part. She needed her fever to go down… and third of all, no… no it isn't what partners do, Rebecca… It's what lovers do when the person they love is sick, and they need them to feel better… I'm sure you wouldn't know anything about what it's like to take care of someone you love like that, would you… I understand the confusion." He said with a snappy retort, watching Rebecca's jaw drop.

"You… you and…"

"Yeah, me and Bones." He said. "Just answer me one thing… are you here because you thought something was wrong with Parker, or were you here because you were checking on my love life?" he asked with a smirk that made Rebecca's cheeks turn red. Booth watched her mouth open and close. "Just… close your mouth before you catch a fly in it." He said as he watched the door open to the room as he heard Brennan's soft, slurred voice. "I have to…"

"I'll keep an eye on Parker… go on… I'm sorry I…"

"It's fine." Booth said, turning quickly he met the wheelchair as it came through the door.

"I really don't need a wheelchair… I don't need one…" Bones was mumbling sleepily as she had her head tipped back, staring up at the nurse.

"What is she on?" Booth asked, noticing immediately that he was acting drunk or high, definitely not normally for Brennan.

"Well, we had to do chest x-rays and…"

"Booth! Booth!" Brennan exclaimed. "I'm not dying." She coughed.

"I don't care what tests you did…." Booth said, "What is she on?"

"Codeine." The nurse replied. "She's a little off kilter right now."

"That's an understatement." He mumbled as he knelt beside her. "Hey, Bones…"

"They said that I have… Meno… menonma… nemoma…"

"Pnemonia." The nurse replied.

"I'm fairly sure that's what I just said." Brennan sighed, spying Rebecca sitting across the room. "Hey Booth?" She whispered, looking him straight in the eyes, he smiled a little as she tipped her head. "Did you know Rebecca is here?"

"Yes." He whispered back, yet not nearly as loudly as she did.

"So she knows that you and I are…"

"Bones."

"… at the hospital…" She finished, a cocky grin on her face as he shook his head.

"Come on… let's get you over there for a minute, your friend here will get your meds and your instructions… and then get you home to bed."

"I'm not sleepy at all." She replied, glancing to the nurse.

"I bet…" The nurse said with a polite smile and nodded toward the desk as Booth nodded and walked to finish discharging her, while letting Brennan direct the other nurse toward Parker and Rebecca.


	97. Funny Bones

Booth stood at the counter getting the medications and paperwork filled out, when he turned to see Rebecca approaching, holding Parker in her arms. He was sleeping soundly against her, and Booth knew what was coming. "Bec…" He said, his voice a half whine as she shook her head knowingly.

"Don't worry Seeley." She said, shaking her head. "I talked to Doctor Brennan, and she thought it was a good idea if I take him for the rest of the weekend, she's probably contagious." She said softly. "You can have him over again next weekend." She said, watching the disappointment on Booth's face.

"She actually spoke in a coherent sentence?" Booth asked, watching Brennan flip through a magazine far too quickly to be actually reading it.

"Get her home, and take care of her." Rebecca said as she cradled their son carefully. "I'm sorry about… earlier." She shrugged, glancing over at Brennan, she seemed to be having a hard time keeping her head up.

"It's fine, whatever." Booth said, nodding toward the nurse as he picked up the bag with Brennan's medication, he took a step toward Brennan. "Tell him that we'll do the picnic thing next week if Bones is feeling up to it."

"I'll tell him." Rebecca said as Booth leaned over and kissed the sleeping boy's cheek. Rebecca turned and started to walk away, and Booth immediately remembered something.

"Rebecca, wait…" He said, running over to her, he patted his son's pocket. "Cell phone." He said, reaching into his son's pocket, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and gave Rebecca a sheepish look. "I should probably get back to Bones." He said, giving her a quick smirk, he waved, and moved through the waiting room to the now floppy forensic anthropologist, who was half asleep in her wheelchair.

He walked over to her and crouched down in front of her. "Hey, Boots." He said, watching her eyes droop, as she looked into his.

"Hey… Boot…Boo." She smiled.

"You are so high." He shook his head, showing her the bag. "Got your medicine, you're good to go." He said, starting to stand up.

"No, wait… I can walk."

"Bones, you can hardly even keep your head up, how are you going to walk?"

"No, you don't understand. It's not that I am unable to walk, I'm just out of practice." She said, with a completely serious look on her face, Booth wanted to laugh, but he knew it would hurt her feelings, so he decided to try to reason with her.

"How about this?" He said, watching her look at him as intently as she could. "You let me push you in the wheelchair out to the car… and we will go back to your apartment instead of mine." He nodded.

"Deal! Deal, deal…" She said as she started to cough, covering her mouth as she looked up at him and whined. "Take me home." She whimpered.

"Aw…" Booth said, leaning down to kiss her head, she shivered and sniffled. "My poor sick Bones."

"I am not poor." She said, coughing. "I make a lot of money, I'll have you know." She mumbled as she settled in the chair and let Booth push her through the waiting room toward the door. He got her outside, the lights of the hospital illuminating the entry as he looked to her, and rolled her toward the bench.

"I'm going to leave you right here for a second… and go get the car, will you be okay?" He asked, waiting for a response. It was only then that he realized that she had fallen asleep sitting up, her eyes closed, and a gentle snore vibrating her throat. He chuckled to himself, wishing that he had a camera for this moment, and then thought twice when he thought of the intense bodily injury that would take place upon such a prank. He ran to get the car, and when he pulled to the entry, she was still in the exact place he had left her, still snoring away.

He rolled the wheelchair toward the car and opened the door, her breath catching in her throat as he touched her hand and her eyes opened, wide and fast as she gasped. "Parker!" She exclaimed.

"What?" Booth asked, instantly confused at her exclamation.

"Where's Parker?" She said, looking around.

"Rebecca took him home, Bones."

"Oh." She said, wrinkling her nose. "Oh, Booth." She pouted as he pulled her from the chair in a standing position as he helped her to the car.

"What?"

"I ruined your weekend with him." She said, a tear escaping her eye as he helped her into the seat and buckled her in.

"It's fine, we got to spend one night… and we'll see him next weekend."

"But he's going to be so much more grown up in a week." She shook her head disappointingly as he smiled.

"I think it'll be okay, Bones."

"How awful." She sighed, wiping the tear that had escaped. "Children grow at an incredible rate, especially in their pre-teen years."

"Bones?" Booth said as she looked at him blankly.

"Huh?"

"What were you saying?" He asked, watching her brow furrow in confusion.

"What? What were we talking about?" She asked, completely lost in her train of thought, he had a smile on his face, and though he knew what he had just done, changing the subject, she seemed oblivious to it.

"You were telling me about how adorable I was, and how incredibly grateful you are that you have someone like me to take care of you." He deadpanned, watching her sincere expression as she stared at him.

Suddenly, a beautiful smile broke the stare, and she began to laugh, loudly, fully. "Now I KNOW you're lying!" She laughed, her face turning red as she started to cough.

"Alright there, funny Bones…" He said, He shook his head and laughed. "You calm down before you give yourself a brain aneurism from laughing and coughing at the same time. He said, leaning forward to kiss her forehead, her coughing and laughing stopped as she tried to take a deep breath.

She giggled a little. "Funny Bones… I like that." She said, smiling to herself quietly as she watched him shake his head and chuckle, as he closed the door and walked around to the driver's seat. He climbed into his seat and looked over to her, her head leaning on the head rest of the seat as she gave him a goofy grin.

"What?" He said softly, smiling at the expression on her face.

"Thank you for taking care of me, and all that crap." She said, coughing.

"Well, all of that crap means that I love you." He whispered, leaning closer to drop a kiss on her cheek, she leaned into his head just a bit.

"I love you too, Booth." She whispered sleepily, closing her eyes just a little, before they closed completely, and she drifted into a bit of a nap, with a smile on her face as Booth started the car and they made their way to her apartment.


	98. If I Had A Million Dollars

He pulled the car up to the building and looked to his partner sleeping soundly in her seat and felt extremely guilty that he would have to wake her up. This was the first time all day that she had been able to actually sleep without snoring or interruption, and for a moment, he considered not leaving her in the car alone, but tipping his own seat back to let her sleep for a little while longer. Though, the moment he turned the car off, she almost literally jumped out of her car seat.

"I'm awake!" She exclaimed, staring straight ahead, it took her a moment to remember where she was. She stared at the windshield, in near shock.

"Good to know." He said, her head swinging in his direction, he smiled sheepishly at her still shocked expression. "We're at your place, Bones."

"Oh." She said, her eyes immediately moving back to their previously droopy state as she smiled lazily at him. "You gonna carry me inside?" She asked, yawning.

"No." He said, watching her sleepy smile become slightly wider. "I would like to keep all of my man parts where they are, thank you… I know that if I even suggest such a thing, I would probably have a new rear view mirror ornament."

"You got it, Boo." She said, smiling sleepily at him as he gave her a confused expression. "That's your new nickname. Learn it, live it, love it…" She mumbled.

"Now you're taking my lines?" He asked.

"I love you, Boo." She replied in a slurred voice that only made him smile brighter.

"Come on, let's get us both inside and to bed."

"I bet you a million dollars… that you're going to get sick too." She said, watching him stop. "I bet you a million because I have a million… dollars… I think."

"Bones."

"Oh!" She said as he climbed from the car and paused, watching her stare at him as if she forgot what she was saying. "You don't gamble… don't bet with me."

"I also don't have a million dollars… and I'm not going to get sick." He replied, closing his door. She watched him walk around the front of the car to her door, opening it for her, she watched him for a second.

"Then you should take the bet." She said, nodding. "Take the bet, take the bet, Boo." She said as he reached across and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"I bet… that you're going to be sleeping before we even get to your door." He said, raising his eyebrows at her, he let her put her arms around his neck as he pulled her from the car, grabbing the bag of medicine, he shoved them into his pocket.

"That's a stupid bet, Boo." She mumbled.

"Are you calling me stupid?" He asked, teasing her a bit with his voice getting lower, she pulled away from him and looked into his eyes.

"No… no, you're… you're teasing me." She said, glaring playfully at him as she released one of her arms and stood on his side as he closed the door of the car and started walking with her toward the building.

"Me? Joke around?" He asked, pulling her keys from his pocket.

"Hey, how did you got… have… my keys?" She stumbled over her words as he helped her up the stairs and ignored her question, getting them into the building and heading toward the elevator. "Booth?"

"What? No nickname?" He asked as the elevator door opened. "I took your keys after you claimed you were going home, it's fine now… we're here, we're home."

"Good, we're home…" She said as she settled against the wall of the elevator, holding his jacket tightly as if it were the only think keeping her upright. "I want this." She said, pulling at his shirt.

"You're going to have to wait until we get into the apartment, Bones." He chuckled as she started unbuttoning his shirt in the elevator. "Bones…"

"But I want it, its more comfortable than my other stuff…" She said, swatting at his hands as he tried to swat her hands away.

"Bones… Just…. Hang on." He laughed, as thankfully the elevator doors opened and he turned her around with her shoulders and led her out of the elevator.

"I wasn't done." She said, looking over her shoulder, she tried to turn around and walk at the same time, just as they approached the door, she tripped over her feet and started to stumble forward, his arms moving around her quickly as she bent at her waist, hanging over his arm, he could feel her body shaking.

"Bones?" He said, exhausted and confused, he thought she was upset. "Bones, are you alright?" He said, as suddenly her laughter filled the hallway. "Bones!" He exclaimed, laughing at her uncontrollable giggles. He laughed as he helped her stand up, turning her around she wrapped her arms around him and continued laughing into his shoulder. "Oh God." He whispered, chuckling to himself, he reached forward and put the key in the lock, pushing her against the door, she moved her hand to his shirt as he unlocked the door and held onto her, pulling her along with him, he dragged her into the apartment and kicked the door behind him as he backed her into the bedroom. She continued giggling into his shoulder, as he released her to fall backwards on her bed, landing among the blankets and pillows, she looked up at his open shirt and let out a joy filled laugh as he stood over her, his shirt half unbuttoned as she looked up at him and laughed harder, rolling onto her side as she held her stomach, listening to his soft laugh that said he was just playing along. "Bedtime, Bones." He said finishing the job she started on his shirt, he tossed it on her bed as she reached up suddenly and grabbed hold of his belt buckle, yanking hard, he tried to hold onto his balance, but failed miserably, landing on top of her as she continued to laugh, a cough catching her throat when he landed, sending the air out of her lungs, her laughing stopped and coughing began. He rolled onto his side quickly, pulling her on top of him as she tried to catch her breath.

"I… I can't… breathe…" She said as she coughed.

"Just relax, Bones… Just relax…" He said. "Slow down… slow down, deep breaths." He said as her coughs slowed down, her head landing on his bare chest as she curled into it, her eyes closing. "It's okay, baby… you'll be okay…" He said, as he ran his fingers through her hair, and just as suddenly as her coughing started, it stopped, and that was when he realized that in the moments following her coughing attack, she had fallen sound asleep against his bare chest, the beating of his heart lulling her into deep relaxation. Exhausted and defeated physically and emotionally, Booth also gave in to the sleep that had been beckoning him for hours.


	99. A Nancy Drool Mystery

She could hear a constant rate of pounding beneath her head, and for a moment wasn't sure if it was her headache or something else. She kept her eyes closed, breathing in, she couldn't smell anything, her sinuses were full, and she breathed through her mouth. She could feel the sticky wetness of drool beneath her chin, and didn't care that she was soaking her pillow, the pounding in her ear still steady, as she slowly came to realize exactly what her pillow was made out of.

Flesh. Bare, unscarred, soft, tender, perfect flesh. Booth.

She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment, and wondered for a moment if he could feel the heat of her face on his skin, his heart still steady as she tried to figure out the best way to move from this position and not disturb her sleeping companion. So she just stayed there, in that position, cradled in his arms protectively and internally assessed the situation, hoping that the little trail of drool now running down his ribs would miraculously disappear. She involuntarily sniffled, and within just a second, she felt his chest rise and fall in a deep yawning sigh, and she closed her eyes tightly, trying to remain as still as possible.

She felt his hands move from around her, and one ran tenderly through her hair as she kept her eyes closed tightly. His hand touched her cheek, resting it on her neck, he sighed again. She felt his head move a bit, a pair of soft lips pressing against the top of her hair as he lovingly rubbed her back. She opened her eyes and still saw the slight damp spot that rolled down his ribcage, and she whimpered a little. "Hey?" His voice was so sweet and soft, and her face was wet against his skin, and when she lifted her face, she could feel the suctioned feeling of her face on his skin. Her hand lifted quickly, resting beneath her face, and she refused to look up at him. Instead, she quickly ran her hand down his ribcage, attempting to fix the embarrassing situation.

"Mmm…?" She whispered against him.

"I think your fever has broken." He whispered.

"I probably gave it to you." She mumbled.

"Are you feeling any better?" He whispered.

"I imagine that this is how one would feel if they had the ability to survive the impact of an eighteen wheel vehicle rolling over them at a very slow speed."

"You know, Bones… most people would say they feel like they were hit by a truck." Booth whispered, hearing her groan against his chest.

"Whatever." She mumbled against him, coughing a little, she was pleased that it sounded productive. "Sorry." She muttered.

"It's fine, Bones… you already bathed me in your drool." He said, watching her head lift up, her jaw was dropped and he smiled. "Sore subject?"

"Not as sore as you're going to be!" She exclaimed as her hand moved up toward his face, it was grabbed by him as he rolled her over, grabbing her other hand, he straddled her body with his as he held her arms above her head. "let go!" She whined.

"No… you're threatening me…" He said, raising his eyebrows, she glared at him, a glint of playfulness in her eyes.

"You're crushing me." She said with a pout, she watched the alarm in his face as he moved quickly, releasing her arms, she moved her hands down and grabbed at his ribs, in a place he knew was incredibly sensitive, he let out a yelp and rolled to the side, feeling her body land on his as he tried to struggle away from her.

"Bones! Bones, stop!" He laughed as she leaned down and began kissing his neck. "Bones, you're going to get drool everywhere!" He said, laughing as her hands moved to his ribs again, and his hands move to grab hers, she began to cough. "You're faking it!"

"No!" She exclaimed between coughs, she was wheezing a bit as she sat above him, coughing, she tried to catch her breath.

"Just… stop for a minute, Bones." He said, pulling several pillows he piled them up from above his head and carefully rolled her to the side of the bed, settling her down on the pillows, her coughing slowly stopped. "It's probably time for your medicine." He said softly as she gave him a pitiful glance and a moan of dissatisfaction.

"Antibiotics, and cough medicine."

"But the cough medicine makes me loopty…"

"Loopy, Bones… you're looking for 'loopy'…" Booth laughed.

"No, I think it's loopty…" She said, coughing once or twice more, she looked to him and cringed a little.

"I won't mention the drool again, if you don't mention that you used me for target practice for your projectile vomiting contest." He said, giving her an honest look that made her smile.

"It wasn't a contest, Booth." She said, watching his humored look as she turned her head away. "I was the only one competing."

"We'll see about that, won't we?" He said, kissing her softly, he pulled the covers over her and grabbed his shirt from the bed as he stood up.

"That's mine." She said, beckoning for the shirt, her hand moving in the air indicating she wanted his shirt.

"But Bones, it's the only one that I have… I have to go get you some coffee, something to eat for breakfast… your medicine." He said, watching her eyes sparkle as her hand continued to wave in the air. "You want me to do it shirtless, don't you?"

"My shirt." She said, coughing a little as she continued her hand movement. "Mine…"

"Bones."

She coughed and gave a pitiful look as he glared at her playfully. "Please…?"

"Fine… here is the shirt…." He said, tossing it at her, it landed on her head, to which she let out a laugh. "Nancy Drool…"

"I don't know what that means!" She exclaimed, as Booth just laughed and shook his head, as he made his way from the room to start breakfast.


	100. Domestic Bliss

Booth stood at the coffee pot, the plate of pancakes was on the counter beside him as he waited patiently. He stared at the drips landing in the pot and sighed, hearing the sliding steps of someone behind him. "I thought you were going to stay in bed." He said, feeling her arms encircle him from behind, her cheek touching his bare back, he smiled as he touched her fingers on his chest. "Shirt thief." He mumbled, hearing her soft laugh into his back. "How do you feel?" He whispered, turning in her arms, she rested her head against his chest, not answering, only squeezing her arms a little tighter around him.

"Hungry." She whispered into his chest, tipping her head so that her eyes would meet his, he smiled at the brighter shine in them.

"Hungry for….?" He said, tipping his head suspiciously she smiled, and those eyes lit up just a little more.

"Food." She whispered. "For now."

"Do you want to sit at the table, couch? Do you want me to bring you breakfast in bed?"

"We can sit out here, at the table." She whispered, releasing him with her arms, she turned and shuffled toward the table. The shirt she was wearing, his shirt, was long on her, covering her comfortably, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her everywhere the shirt touched, but she still looked like she was under the weather, and he didn't want to push his luck.

"How is your stomach?" He asked, watching her sit down, she pulled the bag of medicine that he had put on the table toward her.

"It feels better." She said, her voice was a bit harsh, whispery and sick as she rooted through the bag. She pulled out the antibiotics and started opening the bottle, focused on the medication, she didn't even see him until he had placed the cup of water on the table. She looked up at him and smiled, her eyes were still sunken, her skin pale, but she gave him the best smile that she could. "I feel so domestic." She said, taking the cup, she tossed the pills in her mouth and took a drink, she started to cough a little and she felt his hand on hers, carefully pulling the glass of water from her hand, he placed it on the table and kissed the little drop of water that had escaped the glass onto her cheek.

"You're not domestic, don't worry." He teased as he walked into the kitchen to get their breakfast, he watched her start to get up. "Sit down."

"I am not a dog, Booth." She said, wobbling a little as she started to get up, but instead deciding to remain seated.

"Not domesticated, not a dog…" He said, grabbing the plates and pancakes, he walked into the dining area and placed them down. "Got it…" He said, leaning over, he reached across the counter and grabbed the paper, swatting it down onto the counter. "Sunday morning paper… slightly more domesticated." He said with a smirk as he moved back toward the kitchen.

"Where are you going?"

"Coffee." He said, disappearing around the corner, he came back in a moment as he placed the steaming cup of coffee in front of her, watching her smile warmly at him. "You still look like you feel awful."

"I do." She sighed, watching him sit down across from her as they began to eat in silence, her movements were quicker, and she looked like she was feeling much better than she had been in the past twenty four hours. "However, typically the symptoms of pneumonia are a lot worse in the evening, and while I appear to have no problem functioning now, I could possibly lapse back into a fever in the evening. Antibiotics are not miracle drugs, and…"

"I know, Bones… just… enjoy feeling good while you can, so that later tonight, you will feel like you actually did something today. Eat your pancakes before they get cold."

She started to eat a little, very slowly and finished one pancake before she had to stop for a moment. "Booth?" She whispered, looking up into his eyes as he watched her curiously, lifting his eyes from the newspaper in front of him.

"Hm?" He said, chewing the mouthful of pancake in his mouth he watched her sigh.

"Are you going to tell me who Jen is?" She asked, watching the extremely humored look on his face as she shook her head.

"Wow, Bones… I don't think I've ever seen you jealous before." He said with a smile that only made her glare.

"I'm not jealous." She said with a sigh.

"You're a little jealous."

"No, not I'm not… I'm curious… I'm curious, not jealous." She replied, watching him laugh into his plate, taking another forkful of pancake, she reached across the table and touched his hand, stopping the fork before it got to his mouth. "I'm very, very… very curious." She replied.

"Jen is a lawyer." Booth said, pulling his hand toward his mouth, he dropped the food inside and began to chew it, giving Brennan an odd look. "We were discussing child support options, and visitation rights for Parker." He admitted. "Which is why I didn't tell you who she was in front of Parker, because he doesn't know what it was about, and if he did, he would tell Rebecca."

"Rebecca doesn't know you're trying to get visitation rights?"

"She doesn't need to know right now. It's all preliminary… I just want to know what my rights are, and she wanted to meet Parker, see how I act with him… and determine from our interaction how a judge would view our relationship." He said, watching her nod her head.

"And why didn't you tell me about it?" She asked.

"I don't know." He shrugged, glancing toward the kitchen. "Hey, do you want some orange juice?" He asked as he got up, not waiting for an answer, he moved quickly out of the room. She sat and watched him disappear around the corner, her brow furrowing with concern as she took another bite of pancake, her stomach twisting slightly as she poked at the food on her plate. She looked up to see him standing in the doorway watching her, and gave her a half smile. "What do you think?" He asked, watching a flash of confusion on her face.

"What do I think?" She asked.

"Should I try? Should I bother? Do you think… it's worth it? I don't want to get my hopes up. I just want more time, I want…" Before he could even finish his sentence, she was up and moving across the room, her arms around him tightly and her head resting on his chest.

"You're a fantastic father." She said into his chest, feeling a cough coming on, she squeezed him tightly. "I want you to do this."

"Really?"

"Yes." She said as she nodded. "You've earned it, Booth… you've earned Rebecca's respect… your son is well adjusted and polite… and you would do anything to protect him. You've earned the right to see him when you want to, and if Rebecca had a brain in her skull, she'd see that too." She said as she rested her head on his chest and squeezed him tightly, feeling his arms around her, as he kissed the top of her head, and let her words sink in.

"You like spending time with him?" He asked, whispering into her hair, she looked up into his eyes and gave him a crooked smile.

"Of course… he's a very pleasant boy to be around."

"You two seem to have a little thing going between the two of you… he really likes you."

"I could tell." She said as she kissed his chin lightly.

Their moment was suddenly interrupted by the shrill shriek of Booth's cell phone. He turned with her still in his arms and grabbed the phone off the counter, lifting it to his ear. "Booth." He said, his voice suddenly deeper as he listened carefully. "Yes… yes. Tomorrow morning, okay. I'll be there." He nodded, giving Brennan a confused look as he flipped the phone closed and glanced at it for a second.

"Who was that?"

"Director's secretary… He wants to see me, first thing in the morning."

"Both of us?" She asked curiously.

"No… just me."

"You don't think it's about us, do you?" She whispered, her eyes filled with anxiety as he gave her a soft, reassuring smile.

"Nah…" He said, swallowing hard, he kissed her cheek and turned from her embrace as he walked back toward the table, his words not any more convincing for himself, as they were for her.


	101. Get Out!

Brennan settled on her couch with her laptop and a cup of coffee courtesy of Booth. He sat on the other end of the couch, magazine in hand as she rested and typed, her eyes moving to him to see him staring across at her once again, he buried his nose back in the magazine. "You don't have to be here all day with me." She said softly.

"I like being here with you."

"You're staring at me."

"I'm not staring, I'm admiring."

"You don't have to stay here all day with me." She said again, noting the disappointed look on his face. "I don't have a fever right now, and I have taken my medicine, I'm okay."

"What if you have another coughing fit?" he asked, tipping his head. "Who will get you a cup of water?"

"I'll keep a cup of water beside me… really, Booth. We have work in the morning, and I've probably already given you something, so you may as well go back to your place and relax." She said, continuing to type.

"We have work?" He asked, incredulously. "We have work?"

She looked up at him and gave him a confused look, followed by several coughs. Her voice sounded so strained, but she still had that determined look in her eyes that made him want to argue. She coughed a little more and took a sip from her coffee. "Yes, we have work." She said, tilting her head. "I am not staying here tomorrow."

"You shouldn't go to work with pneumonia."

"Booth…"

"Bones, don't argue."

"I'm a grown woman, Booth." She said, coughing, she let out a groan as she started to stand up. She set her laptop on the couch and crossed her arms over her chest as he stood up as well. "I have been making my own decisions for this long, I really think that I am more than capable to continue making my own decisions." She coughed.

"Bones, I don't really have anywhere to go." He shrugged. "I didn't have any plans today, other than…"

"Other than irritating me, I got it." She coughed again as she started unbuttoning the shirt.

"Bones, what are you doing?" he asked as he walked toward her and stopped her from pulling the shirt from her shoulders, all she had under it was a bra and panties, and if she wasn't sick, he knew that he would surely be taking advantage of that situation. However, he knew she was just being stubborn, and trying to give his shirt back so that he'd leave.

"You're irritating me, just take your shirt and go home." She said, pulling against his hands as he tried to pull it closed again across her chest. "Stop…" She swatted at his hand as she turned quickly, slipping from the shirt, she immediately disappeared down the hallway, naked but for her bra and panties.

"You're being stubborn!" He exclaimed.

"You're suffocating me!" She exclaimed back.

"Bones!"

"Just go, Booth." She said from the doorway, the t-shirt that had been hanging on the back of the door was in her hand, and she was glaring across the room at him. "I'll be fine, I'm just going to go to sleep."

"You're not going to work tomorrow, Bones." He said, pulling his shirt on, he started to button it up as he looked around for his keys. He stepped over to the couch and lifted his coat.

"You can't stop me." She coughed, glaring across the room as he smiled and swung his keys on his finger.

"I don't have to stop you." He said, shrugging as he opened the door just a crack. "Your car is at my place." He said, giving her a little wave as her jaw dropped, and she let out a scoff. "I love you, Boots." He said as he stepped through the door and waved.

"Get out!" She exclaimed, watching him close the door behind him, she grumpily turned and stalked back into her bedroom. She pulled the t-shirt on angrily and then walked out of the bedroom. She walked to the kitchen and found her cough medicine, the aches beginning to come back as she felt the chills increasing. She grumbled as she took the cough medicine quickly, making a face at the flavor as she walked to the sink and rinsed the little medicine cup. She put the medicine back on the cupboard and walked across to the door. Listening for a moment to see if he was coming back, she sighed as she locked the door behind him, then turned and stalked toward the bedroom, more than ready to sleep the afternoon away.


	102. Come back?

**Boo**

_Th?_

**Huh?**

_Booth._

**That's you.**

_Did you take more medicine?_

**Boo?**

_Yes?_

**Come back?**

_Later._

**Please?**

_What?_

**Come back?**

_You kicked me out._

**Asked you to leave.**

_Locked me out._

**Come back?**

_Bones?_

**Huh?**

_Call me if you want to talk._

**Boo?**

_What?_

**Come back?**

_Bones, call me please?_

**No.**

_Why not?_

**Sleepy, miss you. I'm scared.**

She was typing in another message when her phone began to buzz. She laughed as she dropped her phone in her lap and turned it on, trying to sound as serious as possible. "Brennan." She said, hearing a light chuckle on the other line. "May I help you?" She said, knowing it was Booth, she loved his laughter, so she decided to be silly, despite her anxiety.

"Bones, are you okay?"

"I'm scared." She replied.

"Scared?" He said, knowing that she never told him she was scared unless she really was, he listened to her wheezing breath. "Tell me why you're scared." He said softly.

"I don't want to be separated." She whispered softly.

"You're worrying about my meeting with Cullen?"

"Yeah." She whispered. Her voice was vulnerable, small, and extremely worried.

"Don't worry about the meeting… are you taking care of yourself? I thought you were sleeping…"

"I am…is… was…" She stammered, listening to a light laugh on the other end of the line. "You're laughing at me." She whimpered.

"Are you hungry?" He asked, not denying that he was laughing.

"A little."

"Do you want me to bring you something?"

"If you want."

"Are you going to kick me out?"

"Probably." She coughed, cleared her throat. "No."

"Do you promise?" He whispered.

"Are you coming over?" She whispered.

"Bones?"

"Booth…" She whined digging her head in her pillow she looked at the clock. She noted that it was past two in the afternoon.

"You are being stubborn."

"You're being mean."

"You're going to go hungry." He said, listening to the pause on the other line, he heard a soft sigh.

"You wouldn't do that to me, would you?" Her voice had gotten a bit higher, and he knew that she was just baiting him.

"You know I would… I'm just not a nice person."

"No, you're not, but I do enjoy vegetable soup… and those pancakes were delicious. I shall hire you as my personal chef." She said, groaning a little. "Boo?" She whimpered.

"Hm…?"

"Will you come over and turn the heat on?"

"Is that a euphemism?" He asked, his voice becoming louder, and she wasn't sure why. She turned her head and saw him standing in her doorway of her bedroom, the phone to his ear.

"How long have you been here?"

"Since about twenty minutes after you kicked me out." He flipped the phone closed, smiling at her slyly as she glared across the room at him.

"You hover."

"You complain."

"You're obsessed." She said, reaching her hand out.

"You're correct." He whispered back, leaning down to take her hand, he bent down and kissed her lips tenderly. "This is my last day to take care of you without work." He whispered. "I intend on taking advantage of it."

"I'm fine." She grumbled, rolling onto her side, he let his thumb slide across her temple, moving the hair from the side of her face, he gently tucked it behind her ear.

"Of course you are." He said, leaning down to kiss her on the temple. "Fine, and hungry."

"Mm…" She nodded, her eyes fluttering closed.

"I'll go make you something to eat, just rest."

"Mmm…" she sighed. "Boo?" She whispered.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for leaving, but not really leaving when I asked you leave."

"It's not always going to work that way, Temperance."

"I know… but it meant a lot that you did it this time." She whispered. "I appreciate you."

"That's nice to hear."

"That's why I said it… so stop fishing for more compliments and get me soup!" She whined as he laughed, leaning down to kiss her temple again, before disappearing out the door quietly.


	103. No Rest For The Wicked Sick

When he walked back into the bedroom, she was curled up in the blankets, her face pushed delicately into the pillow as she slept peacefully. He carried the tray toward her bed, placing it gently on the table beside the bed, he crouched down and touched her face delicately with his fingertips. Her skin was warm once again, and he knew that her fever was returning. Her cheeks were bright red, and when his fingers ran across her skin, he heard her whimper a little, her eyes fluttering open as she allowed them to meet his. There was a millisecond of uncertainty within the crystal blue depths as they twinkled with unshed tears. He wasn't sure if it was from her being sick, or if her emotions were taking over, so he took a moment to just stare into them.

"I brought you something to eat." He whispered tenderly, her smile was faint, but there. "You feel warm again."

"I think my body temperature has once again risen." She whispered.

"Most people call it a fever, Bones." He teased as she narrowed her eyes, and he smiled lightly into her eyes. "I'll get you some Tylenol, and it's probably time for your antibiotic again."

"I don't want medicine, I want you to come to bed with me." She whispered. "I hate being sick."

"I know." He said, tipping his head so that their eyes lined up properly, his eyes narrowed a bit as he smiled. "Do you want to eat in here, or in the other room?"

She coughed, her lower lip slipping out in an obvious pout. "Here, please." She whispered, keeping her eyes on his as he held his arm out to her to help her up. She rolled onto her back and attempted to sit up, and Booth was right there, fluffing pillows to put behind her as she settled in her bed and looked to her side as he turned for the tray. He lifted it carefully into her lap, her eyes passing to the soup as they widened slightly.

"Careful there, Bones… don't be drooling." He said, and almost regretted it when she turned her head and narrowed her eyes in a steely glare. He was about to apologize, when he saw a bit of light in her eyes, so he waited patiently for the irritation to pass, only to be greeted with a lopsided smile.

"I'm trying to cool it down." She teased back, pleased with the light chuckle that he gave her in return. "Thank you." She said softly, her voice still cracking with sickness. "I am sure I'll feel better tomorrow…" She coughed, clearing her throat.

"Bones, I really don't think you should go to work tomorrow."

"Why not? I'll be better tomorrow." She said, dipping her spoon into the soup, she swirled it around in the dark liquid for a moment, staring at the ripples from the spoon.

"Bones, it's not a good idea."

"Why won't you let me make my own decisions?" She asked. "When I was a grad student, I had bronchitis, and strep throat, and I was hospitalized for a day with dehydration, and I still obtained the highest scores in my classes on the three tests I had that day."

"That's because you're a genius, Bones. You think circles around everyone else, sickness doesn't slow you down, but it does get spread fairly easily… I don't need the squints to be projectile vomiting on me too." He replied as she lifted the spoon with the vegetable broth to her lips, and sipped it lightly.

"If you don't bring me to work, then someone else will." She said, dipping the spoon into the bowl again, she brought the soup to her lips and sipped at it as she gave him a challenging look.

"I'm going to call Angela." He challenged back. "She will not be very happy with you if she hears that you're planning on spreading the plague around the lab."

"You're going to tell on me? You're going to betray me like that?" She asked, the word slipping off her tongue before she could stop it, she watched him stammer for a moment.

"Bones."

"It's fine." She replied, nodding her head, avoiding contact, she shrugged. "It's fine."

"Eat your soup, I'll be right back." He replied as he stood up, hearing his phone ringing in his pocket, he looked down at her and gave her a half smile to her suspicious glare. He flipped his phone open. "Booth." He paused and looked down at Brennan with a smile on his face. "Yes, she's fine." He said, chuckling a little, Brennan's eyebrow raised. "You want to ask her yourself? Okay…" He said, handing her the phone. "It's Parker." He said, watching her eyes light up a bit as she took the phone from him.

"Hey, Parker." She said, smiling into the line, she heard him shifting the phone.

"Hey Bones. I just wanted to see if you're feeling better." Parker said, his voice was a little nervous, but he seemed happy to talk to her.

"I'm doing much better, thank you for calling to check on me."

"I'm sorry I had to go home with mom last night, she made me… I was going to help dad make you breakfast and stuff, it sucks that we couldn't hang out…"

"Maybe next weekend or something, how does that sound?"

"Really? That would be so awesome, Bones!" He said excitedly. "I hope you feel much better real soon!"

"Thanks, Parker."

"I'll let you go back to resting now, I'll talk to you later."

"I'll talk to you later." She said, a smile on her face as she flipped the phone closed, she looked up at the proud look on Booth's face. "What did I tell you?" She said, dropping the phone back in his hand. "He's a very well adjusted little boy… he's very thoughtful."

"Just like his old man." Booth said proudly, crossing his arms over his chest, letting it puff out just a little.

"Yeah, but he doesn't threaten, and say that he's going to do mean things like keep me from going to work." She coughed, taking a sip of her soup without looking at him.

"It's for the best, Bones." He said, leaning down to kiss her cheek, he watched her mock him slightly.

"Are you mocking me?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at her.

"What do you think?" She asked, raising her eyebrow, she gave him a scrutinizing glare as she turned her attention back to her soup.

"You're a grumpy sick person…"

"Yeah… well… you're annoying, in general." She said, sniffling into the soup.

"You're the one that asked me to come back."

"I had to kick you out in the first place." She glared at him.

"You're just being angry because you're not getting what you want."

"And you should know that I am the only person that knows what is good for me, so if you were even partially using the brain in your skull, you would just let me continue doing what I want to do, and not stand in my way." She said, looking up at him with a glare.

"You… You're…" He sighed with a frustrated growl as he turned to leave the room.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm just getting out of this room before I throttle you with my bare hands." He said, turning to leave the room.

"Big mean ape." She said into her soup, her spoon moving to her mouth again, he paused and turned. She was staring into her soup very intently, the spoon swirling in the liquid for several moments. "I love you." She mumbled.

"I love you too." He said, taking another step toward the door. "And I'm going to take care of you whether you like it or not." He whispered, walking through the doorway and quickly down the hallway, the sound of her voice reaching him, but the content of her exclamation was lost in the walls.


	104. Tongue Clucking

Booth walked into the bedroom with antibiotics, a thermometer, and a bottle of water. He crouched by the bed near her head, and her eyes opened slowly. "I brought you your antibiotics and cough medicine."

"Mm…" She groaned.

"I also brought you some water and a thermometer."

"You can take that thermometer and stick it…"

"Bones." Booth said, raising his eyebrows, she stopped and gave him a slow smile.

"Right here…" She said, opening her mouth, he shook his head and popped the thermometer in her mouth as he watched her close her eyes again.

"You're a horrible patient." He said, putting the water bottle beside the bed. "I remember the last time I was sick, and we had to work that case with the guy impaled on that pole, remember?"

"You were sick then?" She asked around the thermometer, her eyes were wide.

"Don't talk with that in your mouth." He said, holding the thermometer. "Yeah… I remember, I had strep throat, it was awful… fever, chills…."

"I don't remember you…"

"Bones… thermometer." He said, sighing, he repositioned it in her mouth. "God… low grade fever for days… it was awful." He sighed.

"You were not sick." She said, pulling the thermometer out of her mouth, he tried to grab it from her, but she moved her hand too quickly. "I remember that case very well, and you acted just like you always do… you didn't even indicate that you weren't feeling well." She said as he shrugged his shoulders and reached for the thermometer.

"You're going to have a thermometer shoved down your throat if you don't put this stupid think under your tongue and leave it there. I swear, you talk way too much, Bones." He said, as she glared and popped it back into her mouth. "You probably ruined the stupid thing anyway, we might have to start over."

"You don't have to start over." She said around it again as Booth gave her a disapproving look. She rolled her eyes and then rolled her body to her back as she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Big mouth." He said, watching her turn her head sharply as she glared at him, watching the slow cocky smile appear on his face.

After a moment, she pulled the thermometer out of her mouth and read it. "What's the point of taking my temperature now anyway?" She said, shaking the thermometer to erase the reading, she looked to Booth, whose eyes were wide. "What? You wanted to read it?"

"Uh… yeah…"

"I still have a fever." She said, handing the thermometer to him, she gave him a sweet smile as he rolled his eyes and gave her a disgusted sigh. He put her medicine on the table and stood up. "What?" She said, watching him shake his head. "Booth, what?"

"Nothing." He said. "Take your medicine… I'll be in the other room." He said, starting to walk out.

"Wait…" She called, watching him turn around, he tipped his head. "What are you doing out there?"

"Just reading." He shrugged.

"Oh." She said, nodding her head as she started to attempt to open the pill bottle. He watched her for a moment as she grunted angrily at her lack of strength. She looked up at him and he tilted his head sympathetically. "Don't look at me like that, Booth."

"Like what?"

"Like you gave your dog a spoonful of peanut butter and you want to watch it try to get it off the roof of its mouth." She said, watching him laugh, he stepped forward and effortlessly opened the pill bottle, dropping one pill into her hand.

"I'm sorry…. Good metaphor."

"Thank you." She sighed grumpily. "Booth?" She whispered, looking up at him as he looked at her curiously.

"Could you… I mean… would you mind… if you…"

"Do you want me to read in here? Will it disturb you?"

"No." She whispered, shrugging her shoulders a bit. "I just… I don't want to be alone."

"Okay." He said, smiling at her as he turned. "I'll be right back…" He said, disappearing into the next room, he appeared with one of her books.

"You are not reading that." She said with a shy smile.

"I most certainly am." He said, moving across the room, he settled on her bed beside her.

"Is that one of the copies from my shelf?"

"Yes." He nodded his head, watching a flash of concern on her face, she just nodded and licked her lips. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She said quickly. "Um… can you read it out loud to me?" She whispered, turning toward him, she lay on her side as he pushed himself toward her, and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder, his other arm sliding around her as she pulled her body against his. "I think it will help me sleep." She whispered.

"Sure." He said, tipping his head down to kiss her head, he cleared his throat and began to read.


	105. A Little Heart to Heart

Halfway through reading the first chapter aloud, Brennan was curled into him, sleeping soundly. The cough medicine was strong, and he knew that the fever had left her weak and clingy, and though he hated seeing her feel so helpless, a part of him was happy for the opportunity to take care of her without much of a fight. He always wondered what she was like when she was sick, and beneath the pouts and scoffs, and hand swatting, he knew that she was appreciating each and every moment. He had left earlier to give her some space, make her feel like she had some control over the situation, because he knew her well enough to know that it was killing her that she didn't.

He continued reading for a minute or two longer, noticing that this particular copy of the book was quite beaten up. Several pages had been torn out, and it had a strange odor to it, that he thought seemed familiar, but couldn't quite identify. He read a couple more pages to himself, leaning his head to the side just a bit to drop a kiss in her hair before closing the book.

He was feeling a little sleepy and glanced to the clock with the decision that a nap wouldn't be such a bad idea. He was lifting the book to place it on the bedside table, when a slip of paper slipped from within the pages, floating unceremoniously to his lap. He glanced to his sleeping partner and to the piece of paper, completing the book's travel to the bedside table, he moved his hand to the paper, noting the haphazard folding of the paper, he felt the rough feel of it between his fingers.

"Bones?" He whispered softly, unsure if she was awake, if this was something that she didn't want him to see. Perhaps it was personal, or something.

"Mmm…" She mumbled against him, she sounded as if she were still asleep.

"Bones, there was a slip of paper in the book, do you just want me to put it back?" He whispered.

"No." She mumbled, her voice not sounding quite as sleepy. "Read it." She whispered.

"You're sure?"

"Mmhm." She whispered. "It's for you, was…" She said, cuddling into him, she opened her eyes for a moment, a look of deep sincerity within them made him shiver.

He opened the paper slowly, the smell stronger as he noticed her scrawling handwriting.

"Blame is reserved for small children and bad dogs, Booth. You are neither." He read the words out loud and made a snorting sound, an almost laugh, trying to figure out the time and place that such a quote would be relevant. He turned it over and looked at the other side, finding nothing, he turned it over again and his faint laughter faded quickly. "Bones?"

"Mm?"

"Is this what I think it is?" He asked, turning his head to see her sleepy eyes were on his. She took her free hand and reached over, pulling the paper from his fingertips, she carefully folded it.

"If you think that it's what I wrote to you when I was kidnapped by the gravedigger… then yeah… it's what you think it is."

"That was your goodbye note?" He asked, his voice filled with a deep intensity.

"I know." She whispered. "It was stupid… we had very little oxygen, and I didn't know what to say." She whispered. "I was disoriented and…" She said as he moved down quickly, and captured her lips in his, the paper falling between them as her hand raised up and settled behind his neck, pulling him in for a deeper kiss.

He took a deep breath, devouring her lips with his own as she reacted in kind, pulling his body into hers, she accepted his kiss wholeheartedly. They separated from the kiss, and he could see that her breath was ragged and her face was flushed with an intense excitement that made him feel so happy in his heart that he could make her feel that way.

"I love you." She whispered without pause.

"I love you too." He said softly as he simply held her against his body. "I don't know what would have happened if I had lost you that day." He said softly.

"I don't wonder about things like that." She said, resting her head against his chest, she listened to his heartbeat. Her hand moved to the paper, her fingertips running across the brittle sheet as she stared at her words. "I know you would have been able to move on. You are a very strong man." She said, feeling his arms squeeze her softly.

"I would not be the same man, Bones." He whispered. "Maybe I would have been strong enough to move on physically, maybe strong enough to go back to working, or try my hardest at being a good father and friend to my friends… but I'm telling you right now, Bones… in absolutely no uncertain terms… you and Hodgins die in that hole, and the man that is lying beneath you would be dead." He whispered, kissing the top of her head. "You're my heart."

"And a person cannot live without a heart." She whispered.

"Not for long." He said softly.

There was a very long silence between the two of them, and for a moment, Booth thought that Brennan had fallen asleep. He kissed the top of her head and rested with her, the paper resting folded in her hand on his body, her head resting on his chest. "Booth?" She whispered suddenly, her voice strong, even in her weakened state.

"Hm…?" He hummed, letting her know that he was listening.

"I think that you are my heart too." She whispered. "In a philosophical sense." She said, unable to keep the qualifier from her sentence, she felt his airy laugh against her ear, as his hand smoothed her hair.

"That makes me very happy to hear, Bones." He whispered, kissing the top of her head again, he shifted slightly so that he could wrap his loose arm around her comfortably, as he felt her cuddle into him as she fell asleep again, this time peacefully against the heart that she knew belonged to her.


	106. Mucus to my Ears

It was getting later into the evening, and Booth knew that if he stayed, he'd have to get up extra early to get to his place for a change of clothes before his meeting with Cullen in the morning. He carefully pulled his body from beneath hers, pulling the tightly gripping hands from his t-shirt as he slid from the bed.

"Boo?" Her voice mumbled, tired and almost scared.

"Hmm?" he hummed softly, leaning down, she reached for his shirt, but missed.

"Where ya goin'?" She mumbled, her usually impeccable speech slurred from sickness and medication, he instantly felt guilty for waking her.

"I was going to go back to my place for the night, let you have a little bit of peace and quiet tonight." He said, kissing her forehead, he could still feel the warmth of the fever.

"I don't want you to go." She said weakly, her voice cracking as she coughed a little.

"Why not?"

"What if I need a glass of water?" She whispered.

"Then call me, I'll come and get you a glass of water."

"That doesn't make sense, to go all the way home, and then come all the way back to get me a glass of water."

"Then I'll leave a bottle of water next to your bed." He said, running his fingers through her hair, her lower lip stuck out in a pout. "Bones, earlier today you kicked me out, and now you don't want me to go? You really have to make up your mind." He said, watching her chest rise and fall in a pouty sigh.

"Earlier, I thought I could handle it all myself, and now I don't want to." She said, a bit of a whimper in her voice.

"Bones, it's okay. I just have that meeting in the morning, and I prefer not to wake you up when I'm getting ready."

"I have to go to the lab in the morning." She said, starting to sit up, a wave of dizziness hit her and before he could even help her back to the pillow, she was falling back onto it.

"You can't even sit up, there is no way you're going to the lab."

"I'll feel better in the morning." She mumbled.

"Bones, no… just take tomorrow off, you have pneumonia."

"When you say it like that, it sounds like its awful."

"Bones, have you looked in the mirror? You look awful. You have snot running down your nose, drool running out of your mouth, tears rolling down your eyes… you're like one big ball of crustiness."

"You know what?" She said, glaring at him as she watched his smile brighten. "You can go." She said as she pushed at him softly.

"Aw, Bones…"

"No, you're right… I can handle being sick on my own, it's not like I've never been sick before." She said, trying to turn away from him.

"I was kidding, Bones."

"I'm not." She said, her attitude clearly changed, she was just closing her eyes when she felt his body vault lightly over her and land on her other side, lying on his side to face her. She opened her eyes slowly.

"I will call you tomorrow afternoon to check on you… do you want me to call Cam and let her know you won't be in tomorrow?"

"No. I can do that this evening." She replied, watching Booth's eyes dance over her features. "Do I really look that bad?" She asked, her voice obviously affected by her coughing.

"You look bad, Bones… still beautiful, but really bad."

"I don't know how I can be beautiful, and still look horrible. Your logic escapes me." She mumbled.

"Are you hungry? Do you need me to get you anything to eat before I go?"

"No." She said, her eyes still struggling to remain open.

"Are you sure you're okay with me leaving?"

"Yeah." She whispered.

"You're sure?"

"Uh huh…"

"You're not going to get up in ten minutes expecting me to be in the living room, right?" He whispered.

"No." She coughed a little, letting out a whine.

"And you're not going to call Angela and have her pick you up for work tomorrow, right?"

"Booth!" She exclaimed in a whiney voice.

"Okay, okay… I'm going."

"You don't trust me." She coughed pitifully as she rolled onto her back and looked up at him. "That hurts."

"Oh, look at that… you trying to get to my guilty side…" He said, giving her a smile that made her turn her head from his face to hide the slight smile on her lips.

"Did it work?"

"A little bit." He teased. "I'm going to leave all of your medicine bottles open just a little bit, just in case you have any problems… so don't be inviting any infants over to hang out with you, I don't want them overdosing."

"I don't think I actually know any infants…" She said, giving Booth a confused glance.

"Not well enough to invite them into your bedroom, no doubt." Booth replied as Brennan nodded.

"Right." She whispered, just agreeing with him. She had no strength to argue with him. "Booth?" She whispered as he covered her up with an extra blanket.

"Hmm?"

"Are you scared?" She whispered as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"There isn't anything to be scared of, Bones."

"What if they separate us?" She whispered, her eyes looking so vulnerable and scared.

"Bones?" He whispered, his voice was serious but low, and his eyes were intense, staring into her eyes, he shook his head. "You don't have to be worried about that, okay? They are not going to separate us, I promise."

"How can you promise that?"

"Because I don't need this job in order to be there for you, Bones. I'm already here."

"But you're going home." She said, watching his eyes lighten considerably from intense to tenderness, and then they narrowed.

"You are playing me." He said suddenly, leaning over her, she turned her head so that she was no longer looking in his eyes.

"Booth, you know I don't know how to do that."

"Yes, oh yes you do, Bones." He said as he tried to catch her eyes, but she just closed them tightly. "So passive aggressive… if you didn't have snot stuck to your nose, I'd kiss that smirk right off your face."

"Get out of my apartment." She exclaimed, part yelling, part coughing, but mostly laughing. She lifted her arms and pushed at his chest and he let out a laugh that lifted her heart. "Just go home and… get ready for your meeting."

"I'm gonna miss you, Bones." He said, leaning down to kiss her cheek, he took a step backwards toward the door.

"Yeah, yeah…" She said, coughing a little as she watched him open the door behind him.

"You be good." He said, winking at her.

"I'm always good!" She called after him as he closed the door.

"Call me if you need anything." He said, swinging the door open again, and then closed.

"Boo?" She called.

"Yes?" He said, popping his head into the bedroom, he raised his eyebrows.

"Just checking." She said, pulling the blankets over her head, he laughed and closed the door behind him.

She waited a good twenty minutes, lying on her bed as she tried to sleep, her mind working in circles as she reached for her phone. She pressed speed dial two and waited for a moment, clearing her throat. "Ange?" She said, her voice cracking just a little. "No, I'm fine… I left my car at Booth's, and he has a meeting in the morning, do you think you can pick me up on the way into the lab?" She said softly. "Thanks." She said, hanging up the phone.

She cuddled into her blankets and stared blearily at the alarm clock. She thought about standing up and turning on the alarm for the morning. "It's only eight…" She mumbled, rolling over, she pulled her blankets up. "I can set it later." She whispered to herself, as she closed her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.


	107. Good Morning, Sunshine!

It was the sound of the chattering birds outside that lifted Brennan from her hazy cloud of sleep. Her chest felt heavy, and her body felt cold and clammy. She tried to suck in a deep breath, but found that the only thing she could do was cough. She groaned and whimpered as she coughed, throwing the blanket over her head as she tried to block the blinding sunlight that was beating through her curtains. She coughed a few more times and paused, her brow furrowing as she pulled the blanket down abruptly. Her eyes were crusty and one was nearly cemented closed with discharge. Her nose was running, and her lungs rattled as she attempted to focus on the clock across the room. The red letters screamed the time, and she attempted a gasp, which sent her into another tirade of coughs. It was past eleven in the afternoon.

She swung her legs to the end of the bed with uneasy accuracy, wobbling as her head spun from sitting up far too quickly in her weakened state. Immediately, she began to cough, loud hacking coughs that were non productive and dry, as she wheezed desperately for air. After a moment, she caught her breath, holding onto the bedside table for support, she stood up wobbly, her legs weak from the fever, and lack of use for the past two days as she grabbed for her bathrobe that Booth had left draped across the small chair in her bedroom. She pulled it around herself, feeling the coolness of the garment against her sweat drenched skin, her eyes focused on the phone at her bedside table. She leaned down to grab it, looking at the screen, she could see that she had three messages.

'I love you Bones, please rest.'

The second.

'Into Cullen's office… wish me luck, even if you don't believe in it.'

And the third, the third made her stomach knot, and she almost vomited right there in the room. Four simple words with no explanation, just four simple words.

'We need to talk.'

Never in this world was anything positive to come from a conversation that started off with those four words, never now, and never in the past, and most likely never in the future. She wanted to call him, but hesitated, her focus instead on why Angela hadn't showed up to pick her up, unless she had slept through Angela's knocking. She walked through her bedroom slowly, her back arched in an uncomfortable manner as she held onto the door frame for support, her hand reaching for the doorknob.

She pulled at the doorknob and slowly opened the door, immediately noticing that there was soft music playing in her living room that she couldn't hear from her bedroom. Her brow furrowed as she slid her feet along the floor, her hand moving to her eye as she wiped the dried discharge from her eye with a soft groan. She walked around the corner and was surprised to see Angela sitting on her couch, her feet stretched out against her coffee table as she blew gently on her fingernails. "Ange?" Brennan managed to croak out, and a croak was exactly what it sounded like.

"Oh! Sweetie!" Angela said with a smile as she blew on her fingers for another moment and put the nail polish brush back in the bottle. She jumped up and walked toward her friend, looking her up and down, her face scrunched to one of almost disgust. "You really do look awful."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Brennan asked, her voice so gravely, that it was hardly recognizable. She cleared her throat. "You said you were going to take me to the lab."

"Yes… and that's before I got this." She said, holding up a piece of paper folded neatly beside the couch.

"What is that?" Brennan asked, reaching forward, she grabbed the paper from her friend.

"It was taped to the door."

Brennan lifted the paper up, and in Booth's messy scrawl across the front, was Angela's name. She glared at the piece of paper as if it had hurled an insult at her, and she angrily flipped it open. "Angela, do not, under any circumstances allow Bones to leave this apartment. She has pneumonia, please call Cam and let her know that she won't be in for a day or two. I will be back around noon." She read out loud, her jaw dropping. "A day or two!?" She exclaimed as she started to cough, bending at her waist, she tried to keep steady and couldn't, her legs giving out below her as Angela grabbed her friend's arm and led her carefully to the couch. "A day or two?" She managed to say between coughs.

"Come on, Bren… you have to admit, you're pretty sick."

"I'm not sick… I'm fine. If he can work with strep throat and a fever, then I can work with…" She stopped as she continued to cough, her lungs wheezing for air. "I can work with pneumonia!" She exclaimed.

"You can't even stand up, sweetie… or finish a sentence without convulsing into a fit of coughs… not to mention the leaning tower of tissues in your bedroom, or the fact that you were practically snuggling with your puke bucket."

"I haven't thrown up in over twenty four hours…" She whined. "Where is Booth? I am mad at him."

"Says he'll be here at noon… I took a half day, to make sure you didn't need anything."

"I need to get out of here." She said, her voice taking on an almost desperate tone. "I need to get out of here."

"Bren, you look like death warmed over."

"I don't know what that means." She whispered.

"It means that you shouldn't be mad at Booth, he's just trying to take care of you."

"He's suffocating me!" She said, burying her face in her hands, she coughed.

"Sweetie…" Angela said, sitting next to her friend, she put her hand on her back. "Sweetie, he is taking care of you."

"He knew I was going to call you."

"Of course he did. He knows how stubborn you are." Angela said as Brennan glared at her. "Don't you give me that look, that look is reserved for one person and one person only. I was just following directions by keeping you here for your own safety and the safety of others." She said, rubbing her friend's back softly as Brennan leaned into her friend's shoulder.

"I hate being sick." She said, her voice whimpering as Angela comforted her friend.

"I know, sweetie."

"I hate being weak."

"I know, sweetie." She said softly.

"I hate Booth."

"I know, sweetie." She replied, as she just held her arm around her friend protectively. "And he'll be home soon, just so you can tell him that."

"I will." She mumbled into Angela as her friend tipped a bit on the couch and let Brennan lay against her.

"I know you will… and I'm sure you'll have some other words to add in."

"Yeah." She mumbled against her friend. "Angela?"

"Hmm?" She said, running her fingers through her friend's hair.

"If I'm sleeping when he gets home… hit him for me?"

"Okay, sweetie." Angela giggled, letting Brennan rest against her, as her eyes closed once again.


	108. Sexual Heeling

Angela just sat on the couch and waited Booth out. Her arm was around Brennan protectively, and the forensic anthropologist snored fitfully against her. Angela was just dozing off when the door to the apartment opened slowly, and Booth's head appeared around the corner, noting the relieved look on Angela's face. He stepped into the apartment and closed the door, pulling off his jacket, he set it on the chair as he tiptoed near them, noticing that Angela was quite a bit attached to her, from the way Brennan had fallen asleep on her.

Booth crouched in front of them, and Angela gave him a supportive smile as he smiled gratefully at her. "Bones?" He said softly as he took her hand. "Hey, Bones…?" He whispered.

Brennan's eyes opened just a bit, and a smile rose on her face. "Hey, Boo." She said, her brow instantly furrowing as she realized where she was, not in bed, but quite attached to her best friend. She frowned as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Whoa, Bones…" Booth said, grabbing her as she almost tipped herself backwards, obviously dizzy from the quick motion. "Are you okay?"

"No touching." She said, pushing at Booth. "I am mad at you."

"She's really mad at you, Booth." Angela shook her head.

"Why? Because I knew she was lying to me last night?"

"I didn't lie." She glared at Booth with renewed strength. "I didn't lie, because I didn't say I wouldn't call her."

"I'm not exactly sure if that's true." Booth replied suspiciously.

"It's the truth." She said, huffing a short breath with a cough. "I don't lie."

"She doesn't lie, Booth." Angela shrugged. "Do you have all of this taken care of?"

"Uh… yeah." He nodded, "I took the rest of the afternoon off."

"To make sure I don't escape, no doubt." Brennan glared.

"That's right." Booth said, watching Angela stand up. "Thanks for sticking around this morning."

"No problem." Angela said with a humored laugh. "Feel better, Sweetie." Angela said, watching Booth try to get Brennan to look at him.

"Angela, you promised." Brennan said as she watched Angela's smile widen.

"It's better I do that when he least expects it." She winked at Brennan as she laughed out loud at Booth's confused expression.

"What are you two conspiring about now?" Booth asked as Brennan laughed as well, coughing slightly as she waved to her friend.

"Thank you, Ange." She said, waving to her friend through watery eyes.

"No problem at all." She said, grabbing her purse off the chair by the door, as she looked back at the two of them for a moment as she opened the door, she watched them speak an unspoken conversation as they sat quietly, forgetting the world around them for a moment as she quietly slipped out of the door and into the hallway.

"She heard me call you Boo." Brennan said as she stared into his eyes, her eyes were still wide and watery, and he held only a slight bit of humor in his.

"She knows you're really sick, baby." He whispered, lifting his hand to touch her cheek.

"I'm really mad at you." She sniffled, reaching for a tissue, she rubbed it across her sore nose as she narrowed her eyes at him. "Really, really, really mad…"

"Yeah?" He whispered, still running his hand tenderly across her cheek.

"Mmhmm…" She nodded.

"Bones." He said, his tone bringing the gravity of the situation to light. "We should talk."

"Is now really a good time?" She sighed. "Are you going to make me cry? I don't want to cry… one of my tear ducts is clogged, the other is producing excess… and… and… I don't want to cry, Booth. I really, really don't want to…" She said, her voice rising with each word as she tried to control her crying.

"Oh, Bones… Shh…" he said, shifting onto the couch, he sat beside her and pulled her into him, kicking his shoes off, she rested her head on his white dress shirt, her hand instantly grabbing the tie that hung loosely from his neck. He rubbed her back gently as she tenderly touched his tie, rolling the silk material in her fingers as she sniffled now and again, sighing deeply.

"Cullen knows, doesn't he?" She whispered.

"I don't think he does." Booth whispered, watching her look up at him. "He didn't give any indication that he knows that we are in a romantic relationship." Booth said honestly. "It isn't permanent, Bones."

"So they are separating us." She said, tears filling her eyes as she grabbed hold of the tie as tightly as he could, he reached down and touched her hand, trying to calm her before she decided to pull it.

"It isn't a separation, Bones… it's not a separation…" He said as he held her hand, feeling it loosen.

"Then what is he doing?" She whispered.

"He understands that our high solve rate is based on the trust we have as partners, the bond that we share by working closely together, and he thought… that I might be able to help out a couple of other agents who are having a difficult time with their partner…"

"And because you work with the most infuriating partner of them all… you'd be the one they'd pick." She mumbled into him. "So what do I do while you're off babysitting?"

"You get to work on your bones!" He said, trying to sound exciting. "You can get a couple of mummies, maybe a stone age soldier…"

"Iron age warrior." She sighed.

"Whatever…" He shrugged. "You can catch up on all of the things that you've been slacking off on since we became partners."

"I highly doubt that I could even come close to doing that. You are quite the handful, you keep me very busy." She said sleepily into his shirt. "How long?"

"There is no set time."

"But it's not permanent?"

"That's what Cullen said. He said that once Agent Culp and Agent Watts are done with their probation, I can go back to working with the Jeffersonian."

"So they're on probation?"

"They tend to get… a little… physical with one another during cases."

"Sexually?" Brennan asked, her head lifting from Booth's chest as she spoke that word in the clearest voice that she had spoken anything for the past three days.

"No, Bones. Not sexually… like physically… fisticuffs… shouting, screaming, punching, fighting… they fight."

"It sounds like two alpha males, struggling with…"

"Agent Culp is a woman." Booth replied.

"Oh." She whispered. "How long is their probation?" She whispered, watching Booth shake his head and shrug slightly.

"I have no idea." He replied. "They're meeting with Sweets on a weekly basis, and until the kid gives them a clean bill of mental health… they're stuck with me."

"My partner."

"That's right, Bones… we are an example to others." He said with a light chuckle as he felt her sigh heavily.

"Maybe you should suggest that Agent Culp and Agent Watts have sexual intercourse." She said, her voice holding not a bit of humor. "That seemed to calm quite a bit of our tension." She said, letting her fingers dance over his tie once again, her eyes closing as she settled against his chest.

"I'll keep that tactic in mind, Bones." He chuckled lightly as he rubbed her back tenderly, leaning down to kiss the top of her head as he let her rest against him. "I will most certainly keep that tactic in mind."


	109. Real Food

Through a series of naps and medication, Booth was able to get Brennan to an almost comfortable level of breathing and sitting up, eating a little more on her own, and moving a bit without getting dizzy. She still had a runny nose, and sounded like she was possessed by demons when she coughed, but she was smiling a little more and only groaned now and then. The rest of the afternoon went by quickly and it was slipping into evening as Booth answered the door to his takeout that she had insisted she wasn't interested in. He put the boxes on the coffee table and smiled at Brennan as he passed her.

She sat on the couch eyeing the boxes as he disappeared into the kitchen for silverware. "You think you're going to be able to eat all of that?" She asked, covering her mouth as she coughed, turning her head, he walked back in slowly, he showed her that he was holding two forks.

"That's my girl…ready for some real food." He smiled, tipping himself back onto the couch, he handed her a fork and watched her slow grin rise on her lips as he handed her a container.

"I think I am." She said, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, don't you go wasting good Thai food…" He said, giving her a light elbow to her arm as she shoved a forkful into her mouth and glared at him.

"Mmm…." She moaned, tasting a bit of the flavor regardless of her stuffy nose and lack of taste that she had experienced lately, she tipped her head against Booth's shoulder and pushed against the couch as she listened to his light chuckle.

"Sounds like you're having more fun with real food then you've ever had with me." He replied, watching the snarky little smirk that adorned her face.

"I like you." She whispered. "I love real food." She said with a mouthful of food.

"You always yell at me when I talk with my mouth full, and you have it running down your chin." He said, reaching over to pull a noodle from her lip, she reached for his hand and grabbed it, allowing him to slip it slowly into her mouth. His eyes widened as she wrapped her warm tongue around his finger and let out a sweet, sensual moan. "God, Bones… don't do that…" He whispered as he slowly extracted his finger from her lips, an affectionate and devilish grin on her lips.

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't caught pneumonia yet… and I'm very, very, very tempted to kiss every inch of your body until I do." He whispered, wanting nothing more than to kiss those lips of hers as she lifted another forkful of noodles, and slurped them up daintily. "God, you make everything look sexy… even pneumonia."

"Just eat your dinner and hush." She replied as he took a forkful of his own food and shook his head with a laugh.

"You know…" Brennan said as she sighed, poking at the container of food in front of her. "I mean… I was wondering, if… could I stay at your place tonight?"

"Where am I going to stay?" He asked, laughing when she pushed her elbow into his arm. "Why do you want to stay at my place tonight?"

"Because you are going to make me stay away from the lab."

"That's right."

"And… if you're going to make me stay away from the lab, I can stay at your place and watch some garbage on tv."

"You mean trash tv?"

"Whatever." She shrugged.

"Maybe I can get into one of those… soap opera shows that Angela is always talking about."

"No, no… you should focus on those forensic shows on the Arts and Entertainment channel… that's more of your cup of tea." He said, taking another bite of food, she watched him and nodded, considering what he was saying. He swallowed his mouthful and watched her eyes as they focused on his. "After dinner, you take a shower… and we can go back to my place."

"Okay." She said with a smile, turning a bit against his arm, she settled with her back against him, her feet up on the couch and her knees pulled up as she poked at the food at the bottom of the container and sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm all out of noodles." She said, pouting just a bit as she stared at his share of his own noodles that he was only halfway through. She sighed again.

"Here." He said, watching a smile light up her face as she took the container from his hands and shoved her fork into the box. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I'm glad I got an extra serving of noodles… I knew you were feeling better."

"You're the best, Boo." She said happily as she cuddled against him and ate happily, immersed in her take out and her partner.

"Oh, I know." He replied, smiling to himself as he sent her a sly grin, and took another bite.


	110. Another Filler Chapter

After dinner, Booth helped Brennan get into the bathroom to take a shower, and after nearly five minutes of the water running, he was finally able to convince her that he didn't need a shower right now, that she needed to focus on herself, she turned and pouted her way into the bathroom alone as he chuckled to himself as he pulled her bag up onto her bed and set it beside himself as he lay back on her bed and closed his eyes. It wasn't as if he didn't want to take a relaxing shower with his girlfriend, it was that he knew that if he did get under that hot stream of water with her, cleaning would be the last thing they would be doing in there, and it would take a heck of a lot longer than the standard ten minute shower.

He drifted off a little, a small satisfied smirk spread across his lips as he waited for her to finish. Dozing off, he didn't hear the water turn off, or her enter the bedroom. He didn't notice her standing over him, shaking her head with an amused expression. He only woke up when he felt her towel smack him on the head, landing over his face, he let out a laugh as he felt her hand on his chest. "No looking." She said seriously.

"What do you mean, no looking?" He asked, reaching for the towel, she instantly smacked his hand. "Ow!"

"I am serious, Booth, no peeking."

"Why, are you putting something sexy and cute on?"

"No… I look awful…" She coughed. "And there is nothing more unattractive than a naked woman coughing."

"Actually…"

"Hey." She smacked his chest lightly. "That's enough…" She said pulling the towel away from his head for just a moment, she dropped a kiss on his lips, resting her forehead on his, she smiled when she noticed that his eyes were closed. "Look at you, such a good boy." She whispered, feeling his hands on her naked arms, running down her skin, it immediately erupted into goosebumps, sending a chill down her spine. "Booth…." She shivered, feeling his hands now rubbing warmly across her arms, he lifted his head to meet her lips with his.

"Coughing or not, you're always beautiful." He whispered, letting his hands lift to her chin, he tasted her mouth for a moment or two more, before she pulled away, she caught a flash of those brown eyes and she gave him a disapproving glance that made him laugh. "Caught me."

"I did." She said with a throaty laugh as she kissed him quickly and pulled out of his arms, feeling a wave of dizziness as she sat up. "Whoa…" She whispered, grabbing her head as she let out a groan.

"Hey… hey, are you okay?" he asked, instantly the focus of an intense Brennan glare as he flinched. "I'm not looking, I'm checking on you."

"You and your superhero complex." She said, still holding her head, she took a slow, deep breath. "I'll be okay in a second."

"You're sure? Do you need anything?"

"I'm okay." She nodded, watching his warm eyes as they focused only her eyes, and nothing else. She thought she'd feel embarrassed, revealing not just her physical vulnerability, but everything, naked, right there, she had felt weak and small, and for some reason, she didn't feel that way right now. "I'm okay." She whispered.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah." She nodded, leaning over to drop a kiss on his lips. "I'll be ready to go in a couple minutes."

"I'll… go make sure I'm ready to go." He said tipping his head curiously as she smiled at him.

"Okay." She said, a slight giggle in her voice as he rolled from the bed and made his way from the room, letting her dress in peace.

----------

It didn't take but ten minutes, and when Booth walked from the kitchen, Brennan was putting a couple of things in the small part of her bag, and swinging it onto her shoulder. "Do you need me to carry anything?" He asked, noting that she seemed fairly okay considering not feeling well, holding her own bag.

"My computer bag is behind the couch, can you grab that?" She asked, and he nodded as he walked around her, catching her hip with his hand he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his body. "Thank you." She said, her voice bringing on a bit of a 'shy' tinge to it as she tipped her head and gave him a half smile of thanks.

"Oh, you can thank me later." He said, winking at her with a cocky grin as he leaned in to kiss the smile from her lips. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Temperance." He whispered against her mouth.

"I never exited the land of the living…" She said, pulling from the kiss with a playful smile.

"I don't know, Bones… you were pretty ghostly for the past couple of days. It's good to see some of that fire back in your eyes."

"Mm… and it's good to see something more than concern in yours." She whispered, kissing him a little more soundly, before she rested her head on his chest for a moment, hugging him close before he released her to grab her bag, and they turned and made the trek out of the apartment toward the car.


	111. Rounding Third, Heading For Home

**Hey everyone, sorry I disappeared there for a couple of days... I went on vacation... lol. I didnt think I'd be THAT missed :) Love you guys... thanks for the comments! Looking forward to more! :)**

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Once settled in Booth's apartment, Brennan walked from the bedroom into the living room with minimal difficulty, her dizzy spells had gone away considerably, though now and then she would have a coughing fit that would send him to her side with a cup of water. She stepped into the living room and noted that he had changed into a t-shirt and sweats and was draped across the couch comfortably, watching what was going on, on the television. She must have walked into the room very quietly, for he didn't even turn to acknowledge that she had walked in, and she smiled to herself.

Slowly, she crept across the floor, settling her lips right beside his ear. "What are you watching?" She asked, watching him jump, turning his head, a smile immediately rose on his face as he reached for her.

"What do you think you're doing, trying to scare the hell out of me like that?" He laughed, though his cheeks turned red, and the smile on his face was more embarrassment than anything else. He tugged on her arm and she resisted.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I am trying to get you to sit here with me." He tugged again, feeling her resist again.

"Why won't you allow me to walk around the couch and sit next you in the appropriate way?"

"Because you belong on me, not next to me." He said, giving her one more, hard tug, she gave in and tumbled over the couch atop of him. He grunted as her body landed on him and she just shook her head as she settled on top of him. "You need to work on your tumbling skills."

"You need to work on your kidnapping skills." She teased back, kissing him softly on the lips, she turned her head and rested it on his chest, a little cough, and his arms were around her with his hand gently rubbing her back.

"You're going to stay here tomorrow?" He whispered, feeling her head nod. "You promise?" She nodded again. He was thinking having her actually say the words, that maybe she would be less likely to go out, if she had said them aloud, but instead he just held her, gently rubbing her back, his eyes on the television.

"I promise." She whispered, just loud enough so that he could hear it. "What are you watching?"

"Baseball." He replied, noting her silence could be interpreted as one of two things. She was either lying against him trying to recall the early beginnings of the sport, and keeping herself from expressing the anthropological meaning of men carrying clubs to see who can hit the ball the farthest, or she didn't know anything about baseball, and was waiting for him to explain something. "Parker has a game on Saturday, would you like to go?"

"Go… as in… to the game, as in with you?"

"Yeah, Bones… that's typically how it works." He laughed. "If you're feeling better."

"I'm not sick anymore." She mumbled. "Why do you want me to go to Parker's baseball game?"

"Because I like you." He shrugged. "Parker likes the attention, you can see him showing off, Saturday is supposed to be beautiful, and I like you."

"You said you liked me twice."

"I did?"

"Yes."

"Well then, I must like you twice as much."

"Is that what that means?" She asked, watching the screen as she felt his hands gently rubbing her back, her fingers worrying away at the fabric of his t-shirt.

"Mmhm…"

"I thought that you were one of Parker's coaches." She said, looking up at Booth her lips curled in a knowing smile.

"I am." He said proudly, she could almost feel his chest puffing in proud as he watched her eyes.

"Then why would I come with you, if I cannot interact with you, or Parker? Are you implying that I take on the roll of a cheerleader?"

"I'm not implying anything." He said, watching her eyes darken slightly, confusion hooded her features. "I'm coming right out and saying it. Will you come to Parker's game on Saturday and be our cheerleader?"

"Why?" She asked, swallowing hard, he could feel her body curling slightly in his arms, and he wasn't sure if he had made a wrong move.

"Because I want to show off to my girlfriend." He whispered into her hair, feeling her body relax into his once again. "Because you know, that's what alpha males do, right? They need to impress their mate with their athletic capabilities and all of that mumbo jumbo…"

She giggled a little against him, his attempt at scientific conversation always made her smile, not because she thought he was making fun of her, but that deep down he actually listened to what she said, and while he cannot always express those thoughts or feelings in her exact words, when he joked about it, she always knew that he was keeping up to her in one way or another.

"But I already know what you are capable of, Booth… there is no need to compete with other males for my affections, you have them… and my attention…"

"You give in far too easily, Bones."

"I do not."

"Yep… you're an old softie…"

"That is not nice…" She said, though not even making a move to try to escape from his arms, she watched the screen. She sighed. "Fine."

"Fine what?"

"I'll go to Parker's game on Saturday with you." She said resignedly.

"You sound like you're making a choice that you found very difficult."

"Well… there's something that you have to do for me first." She said, glancing to the action on the television screen, she looked up at him.

"And what is that?"

"You have to teach me what I'll be watching for, exactly… I can't exactly cheer for something that I know nothing about."

He smiled brightly, his eyes sparkling as he watched hers dance brightly. "You want me to teach you about baseball?"

"I think it's only fair." She replied. "Teach me something I don't know, Booth." She whispered, cuddling into him.

"It would be my pleasure." He whispered, kissing her head, he pointed the remote toward the television and turned it off mute, as the sounds of the baseball game filled the apartment, and Booth began his first lesson.


	112. Whipped and Loving it

When morning came, and Booth found himself wound in the arms and legs of his partner, he had to laugh. This was the first time in a couple of days that he hadn't woken up alone, or covered in sweat from his feverish partner's body. Her skin was cool to the touch, and when his hand rested on her thigh, she groaned a little.

"Not now, I'm sleeping." She mumbled sleepily as Booth let out a chuckle, watching her eyes flutter open, she smiled. "What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing." He said with a satisfied grin that made her tip her head in confusion, a playful smile at her own lips. "I have to get up and go to work."

"You could stay here all day with me." She whispered, coughing a little, her brow furrowed. "Who is going to take care of me?"

"Oh… funny." He said, raising his eyebrows, watching as her lip pushed out a little more. "Wow, Bones… the pout and everything." He said, listening to a strangled whimper. "Oh God, Bones… don't do that…" He shook his head as her pout was replaced by a stunning smile, her eyes brighter than they had been in days.

"Fine… get out of my bed…" She said, narrowing her eyes, she tried to roll over away from him in a fake pout that almost made him laugh.

"This is my bed." He said, rolling over, wrapping an arm around her, she wiggled away from him.

"Not anymore. I have taken over this bed, in the name of influenza… so beat it, buster." She said, feeling a tender kiss on her cheek. "Have a good day at work." She whispered.

"You have a good day on the couch… don't vegetate too much, I don't want to come home to a sack of potatoes on the couch immersed in the world of Days of our nights or whatever…" Booth mumbled.

"Days of our lives." She corrected, cringing as soon as she heard the pause. She had been caught, and there was absolutely no way for her to escape it now. She thought for a moment if she didn't make another noise, that he would just go about his day, but she noticed that since she had made the correction, that he hadn't moved. Slowly, she turned her head, her eyes focusing on the raised eyebrows and the widened eyes as she reached out and smacked his chest with her hand. "Don't say a word!"

"You watch soap operas?" He asked with a laugh. "Earlier you acted all disgusted and concerned… and now you are actually admitting to watching them!"

"I didn't say that I watched them! I did not say that! I just… I was in my doctor's office one day and I kind of became immersed in the story… so… occasionally… I will…" And she mumbled something under her breath as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Have a good day."

"You'll occasionally what?" He asked, laughing.

"Bye, Booth…"

"You download them and watch them on your computer, don't you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows as he let out a laugh.

"You are being… so mean! I am sick… and so tired, and you just insist on staying here and being mean to me… This is just like when you were making fun of my book…" She said as she started to cough. "And now… now…" She stammered between coughs. "Now you're being mean." She coughed. "Again, and… and…"

"Hey…" He said, dropping a kiss on her lips before another cough could come out, she looked at him pitifully. "You do download them, don't you?" He asked, jumping away from her before she could push him away.

"Just get out and get ready for work!" She exclaimed, watching him turn for his closet, she rolled over and covered herself with her blanket. She heard him chuckling as he disappeared into the bathroom, and after a couple of moments, she drifted off.

-------

She woke, thinking it had only been a couple of minutes, when in reality it had been nearly an hour. She could feel the blanket being tugged away from her face, and she opened her eyes to a strong whiff of his cologne. "I just wanted to give you a kiss before I go." He whispered sincerely, her hand reaching up to grasp his tie lightly.

"You should wear the one with the red stripe on it." She whispered.

"But I like this one…"

"I like the one with the red stripe better." She said, a sideways grin as she fiddled with the tie. He shook his head and smiled back, kissing her softly on the lips.

"Have a good day."

"You have a good day." She said, watching him stand up, he started to pull off his jacket. "What are you doing?" She asked, watching him raise his eyebrows as he set the jacket on the bed.

"What do you think I'm doing?" He asked, reaching up, he grabbed the knot of the tie and smiled as he started to pull it off. She smiled and rolled over, a smile on her face as she closed her eyes, the sound of Booth looking for his red striped tie was the last thing she heard before she drifted off to sleep.


	113. Long Day

At about one in the afternoon, Brennan's phone rang cheerfully, and she picked it up, closing the top of her laptop, she sighed as she flipped open the phone. "Brennan."

"So formal." Booth's voice sent a smile across her face, and she tipped her head .

"Yes, well… this is also my business phone, and despite the fact that your number flashed across the screen, I can't always be sure that it will be you calling me, and not some creepy individual who stole your phone and is scanning through your address book looking to find someone to engage in sexual intercourse with him."

"Bones…" He said, a bit of a sly sound in his voice, she giggled, feeling her cheeks blush slightly.

"What did you need, Agent Booth?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I will not be able to make it for lunch today." He said quickly, there were voices in the background, and she couldn't help but feel incredibly disappointed.

"Oh." She said, unable to keep the disappointment from her voice, she sighed softly. "What am I going to do without my big strong FBI agent/cook/sex slave here to help me get through this boring afternoon?" She sighed.

"Well, you know your options." He replied, an odd sentence for him to say as he typically gave her options.

"You're with the other agents?"

"That is correct." He replied.

"And they know you're calling your partner."

"That is correct."

"But they don't know that you and your partner are romantically involved."

"I don't think that information is pertinent… so no, its probably best that we leave that out of the report."

"So you won't be telling me that you love me over the phone, will you?"

"Probably not."

"So if the words are not spoken, and I say it… and it isn't reciprocated by you, then the evidence would suggest that you, indeed, do not love me too." She teased.

"Bones. That is not what the evidence suggests, and you know it. Don't you even think of putting that in the report.

"Then tell me that you love me." She whispered.

"You know… Bones, I have to go."

"Tell me…"

"Bones, don't even joke…that is not funny." He replied.

"What if you come home, and I've disappeared? What if I go somewhere, and you don't know where to find me, because you were too busy playing the good FBI agent to tell your poor, sweet, innocent, sexy girlfriend that you love her. What if something happens? And you didn't say you loved me? How would you feel then?"

"I'm serious, Bones… don't even make jokes like that."

"Sorry." She said, though her voice still held a tinge of humor.

"I'll see you later… maybe dinner… you can tell me about your day, I'll tell you about mine… and you can give me that report."

"Oh… no report for you, baby… you are being a very, bad boy."

"All the more reason to hand in that report, huh?" He said, a hint of a smile in his voice as she let out a giggle.

"I love you, Booth."

"I…'d love to." He said, laughing as he almost slipped out of habit, "Later, Bones." He said, and the phone went dead.

She sighed a huff of frustration, shaking her head, she pouted at no one. No lunch date, no 'I love you', she was tempted to pack up her computer and make her way to the lab, just to be spiteful, when she heard the buzz of her phone. She flipped it open and a bright grin spread on her face when she looked at the words on the text.

**_I love you, baby. Don't you dare disappear to the lab!_**

He knew her way too well for her own good.

She closed he phone and laughed to herself, sitting back on the couch she flipped open her computer and sighed, as she opened up the document for her book, and began to type once again.

-------

The afternoon stretched into evening, and she hadn't heard from Booth for quite a long time. She noticed that it was nearly nine in the evening when she heard his key in the lock. She had curled onto the couch watching a baseball game, the lesson of the previous night still fresh in her mind as she looked up to see a tired looking Booth drop his keys onto the table.

She yawned, looking up at him, and she noticed that he still hadn't even acknowledged that she was there. "You're really late." She said, tipping her head, he gave her a weak smile in return.

"Yeah." He sighed, stepping over to the couch, she pulled her feet back and watched him plop heavily onto the couch.

"Are you okay?"

"Tired." He sighed. "How was your day?"

"Lonely." She shrugged.

"Feeling a little better?"

"Yeah." She said, sensing his mood was just a cover for him wanting to vent, she just watched him for a moment. "Tell me what happened."

"Nothing." He said, giving her a strained smile. "You eat?"

"I had the leftover Chinese from lunch." She sighed.

"I'm ready for bed, I think." He said, glancing to the television.

"I was watching the baseball game."

"Okay, you watch the game… I'm going to go to bed." He said, standing up, he started for the bedroom, leaning down to kiss her head. "I love you."

"I love you." She said, watching him walk right past her, and toward the bedroom, closing the door behind him without another word, leaving her alone on the couch, looking after him for many minutes after the bedroom door closed.


	114. Pick a Peck of Pickled Problems

Brennan sat on the couch for a couple of minutes, staring at the screen, she was no longer interested in honing her skills on the goings on within the game, and instead stole another glance toward the bedroom. She was unsure of the protocol in a situation like this, and she was moving through her mind rapidly to determine if she should go into the bedroom or not. Choosing to take action instead of think about it, she turned the television off and made her way toward the bedroom, her hand touching the doorknob as she slowly turned it and peeked inside.

He was already in the bed, covered in the blankets, his back to her, and from his breathing, she could see that he wasn't sleeping. She swallowed hard, and his voice suddenly startled her. "Are you going to stand in the doorway all night, or are you coming to bed?" He asked, turning his head, there was a smile of slight amusement on his face, and he watched her flit across the room quickly, crawling across the sheets as she flopped down on her side and pulled the covers up. At first, his back was facing her, but after a moment, he rolled over, his breathing slightly heavy as she pushed her body forward against his.

He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear and watched her in the shadows. "You look like you feel a lot better." He whispered tenderly, watching her nod against the pillow, her eyes remained on his, and he could see by the crease in her forehead that she was concerned, but didn't want to push. "It was just a long day, baby… nothing to worry about." He whispered.

"I don't like it when you're upset, it throws everything off. We maintain a state of balance, and when something shifts, like our behavior, or our mood, then everything shifts with it, and if it doesn't shift properly, then there is a possibility of a creation of a space, and if there's a space, then other thoughts and feelings could slip through, and then we're stuck with not communicating, and then where would we be?"

"Bones…" He said, chuckling at her diatribe as he shook his head. "It was nothing… just a long day. Agent Watts and Agent Culp took a lot out of me… they argue about everything… She's pigheaded, he's stubborn… they couldn't even decide on what they wanted to get for themselves for dinner… by the time I was done lecturing one about respect, the other was mocking… then there's the other thing that I'm not telling you about, and you can't make me."

"What?"

"Nothing, Bones…"

"Now you have to tell me."

"I know." He said, leaning forward, he captured her lips with his, and she laughed and pushed at his chest.

"Not so fast… you're trying to change the subject here…" She said as he leaned forward and kissed her neck, again and again, tickling her tender flesh, she squirmed beneath his touch, trying to wiggle away from his distraction. "Booth! Stop!"

"I can't… you're intoxicating." He groaned into her skin as he kissed her again and again, listening to her squeal in his arms, he continued his onslaught of kisses. "So absolutely intoxicating."

"I'm trying to have a conversation with you… stop… stop… Booth, I'm serious!" She exclaimed, and he stopped, his lips still on her neck, he groaned slightly as she tried to pull away. "Tell me." She said, feeling his tongue flicker out against her skin, warm and wet, her body couldn't help but react to it and she leaned farther into him. "Booth."

"Mmm…?"

"Tell me."

"There's a case."

"So?" She said, pulling from his tighter grasp, he loosened his arms and let her look him in the eyes. "I thought that was what you have to do… work with them for a little while, and try to get them to work better together."

"Yeah, but they're not my partner." He complained.

"What kind of case?"

"The kind that I may have to bring to the squints… there's no body though…just the evidence that a body was dropped…"

"A body was dropped, but there is no body? You are not making sense, are you sure you're not taking my loopty medicine? Do you have a fever?" She asked, raising her hand to his forehead, he swatted at it.

"I don't have a fever, and I'm not loopy… it's loopy, Bones…"

"Well, it would be loopy Booth, if you were…"

"Oh, you're funny." He said, narrowing his eyes with a nod. "So very funny."

"I don't understand why this bothers you."

"Because you and I may have to work in close proximity, and be very careful in what we say or do, I don't want these two in your lab… they're obnoxious and irritating."

"You're obnoxious and irritating, and I'm just fine working with you." She shrugged, raising her eyebrow at his glare. "I don't understand… so you and I are partners, we'd be working with another set of partners in order to…"

"No… I am working with them, you are a squint… you are staying in the lab… I can't keep these two from shooting one another, and keep you safe at the same time."

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Booth. If you haven't figured that out yet, then…"

"Enough…" He said with a sigh, his grip on her loosening. "Its just a lot… and I just want to work with you… and these two seem like a lost cause."

"Perhaps Doctor Sweets could help… he is quite insightful, even if psychology is all a load of…"

"Sweets was the one that recommended me." Booth sighed. "Sweets was the one that thought that they would benefit from my expertise into our partnership."

"Well then…" She said, raising her eyebrows at him, she gave him a supportive smile. "Perhaps if you and I do work together… I… as Squint, you as field agent… but as partners in a… viable working relationship, we can show Agent Culp and Agent Watts the proper way to treat a partner… without revealing our relationship and confusing them even further. Our working relationship was very good, even before we became involved… we'll just have to go back to that." She said, shrugging as she leaned forward and kissed his lips. "Now I'm getting sleepy." She whispered, yawning a little as she gave him a sleepy smile. "Goodnight… I love you."

"I love you, Bones." He said, watching her roll over away from him, he stared at the back of her head, following its outline to the nape of her neck that was just revealing itself to him, he leaned forward, and gently dropped a kiss on the bare stretch of skin.

"Mm…" She groaned, reaching back, she touched his face with her fingertips. "Just partners…Go sleep…" She mumbled into her pillow, he pulled away for just a split second before he heard a soft giggle from beside him, to which he responded with a quick pull of her shoulder onto the bed, before he rolled over her and devoured her completely.


	115. Wednesday Morning Blues

Wednesday mornings were always the worst for Brennan, and now that she found herself wrapped in the arms of Booth every morning, it only made matters worse. The alarm went off, and she buried her head in his arm, she felt his arm curl around her protectively as he reached over her to turn the alarm off, and he kissed the top of her head. "Who gets the shower first?" He whispered.

"You." She mumbled, holding onto him tightly, it didn't look like either of them was going anywhere.

"Well, you have to let go of me if you want me to take mind first." He laughed.

"I thought about it, and I think that it would be best if you just avoided the whole babysitting thing entirely. If you say here with me, and we just sleep all day, all of our problems would be solved. You wouldn't have to pretend that you and I didn't spend half of the night screaming in ecstasy and I… can recover from it." She sighed.

"Bones, you love work."

"I love working with you." She pouted. "I like bed… all of my life I woke up early to be early to school, early to work… I found out that I like sleeping… It's an enigma, I know… I'm over the shock of it all, aren't you? Just give in."

"Very convincing argument, my little Squintcess … but we both have to go to work today, and no amount of hypothesizing is going to get us out of it."

"Squintcess?" She asked, looking up at him, her eyes were narrow from the brightness of the sun coming in the room, and he let out a laugh.

"You don't like it?"

"Go take your shower." She said, pushing at him, she rolled over, and he let out a laugh as he escaped the bed before she grabbed him and convinced him for 'five more minutes'.

She lay with her eyes open, staring at the numbers on the clock as he took the quickest shower known to man. The next thing she knew, he was standing in front of the clock, towel clad and nagging, as she rolled over and climbed from the bed mumbling about how someone so sexy could be so irritating.

When she exited the bathroom after her shower, she was wrapped securely in his dark blue robe, the terrycloth material was comforting on her skin, and she wandered into the kitchen to find him already dressed and ready. He turned around at the counter, a cup of coffee in his hand and he smiled.

"Stop doing that."

"What?"

"That…"

"Smiling?"

"That's one of the things I'm talking about…" She pouted as she sipped her coffee.

"Wow, Bones… you really are like a completely different person without your caffeine." He said, leaning down for a kiss, she grabbed his tie with her hand lightly and tugged slightly so they were eye to eye. "Do you approve of my neckwear?" He asked, raising an eyebrow curiously as she tipped her head as if deciding.

"It'll do." She nodded.

"No suggestions?"

"I suggest you…"

"Besides taking it, and my shirt off…"

"No." She said, sipping her coffee, she smiled at him with her eyes over the mug as he let out a laugh. "It's a good choice."

"Thank you… you know, Agent Culp complimented me on my tie yesterday." He said with a cocky grin, he noticed her eyes narrow over her cup and he turned from her as he walked toward the bedroom.

"Wait…" She said, following after him. "What do you mean she complimented you?"

"I mean she said that it went well with my eyes." He said, pulling her bag onto the bed, he walked toward her. "Is that what you like about it?"

"No." She said, handing him her coffee cup, she grabbed her bag and headed toward the bathroom. "The other one had a stain on it, and I didn't have the heart to tell you." She said, sticking her tongue out at him as she closed the door to the bathroom, laughing to herself when she heard him protest.

Dressed and ready, Booth ushered Brennan from the apartment and down the stairs. They reached their cars together, and she turned to face him. "Keys?" She asked, holding her hand out.

"You're not coming with me?"

"That would not be appropriate." She said, wagging her finger in his direction, he rolled his eyes.

"They don't have to know that I dropped you off at work."

"Yes, but if you drop me off, I'm at the mercy of your hellish partnership with them… and if I take my own car, I can go home any time that I wish." She said, watching him nod his head in understanding.

"Fine… here…" He said, reaching into his pocket, he tossed her the keys. "We'll be over at the Jeffersonian at around ten… after I debrief Culp and Watts…"

She nodded and walked toward her car, pushing the button on the door locks, she paused and turned. "Booth?" She said, watching him just before he got into the SUV. "If anyone will be doing any debriefing with you… it had better be me." She said, climbing into her car, she watched his eyebrow raise as he tried to determine if she had actually said what he thought she said. It took only another moment or two, and it lifted her heart when she drove past his laughing form, waving happily at her.


	116. Shake, Rattle, and Roll

Brennan stood in the bone room, her eyes focused on a set of remains that she had taken from storage that she had decided to work on until Booth came over. She had come into the lab expecting everyone to be going about their business as if she hadn't been out for the previous two days, but found herself stepping into the lab, where everything suddenly became chaotic, as if they hadn't known she was coming in and were scrambling to prove that they weren't slacking off.

Hodgins had greeted her happily, wishing her well as he had heard about how she wasn't feeling well, and Angela had given her a big hug and commented on how much better she appeared to be feeling. She thanked her friend for keeping things sane, and explained the situation with Booth and the other agents, and Angela agreed to be professional and courteous to their feelings, and keep her comments to herself, even if they were, in her words 'juicy gossip'. So quietly, she stood over the remains, carefully surveying them when the door opened, and someone stepped inside.

She could tell by the clacking on the floor that it wasn't Hodgins, or one of her interns, and it probably wasn't Angela, so that only left one other person.

"Doctor Brennan." Cam said, smiling at the younger doctor, she nodded in acknowledgement when Brennan didn't look up at her.

"Hey, Cam." She said, finally looking up and making eye contact, she cleared her throat.

"It's good to see that you're feeling better."

"Thanks." She said, giving Cam a confused look, she looked back down at the remains and then writes on the clipboard beside her. "Was there something you needed?" She asked, looking up at her boss, she could see that Cam was working through something in her mind.

"Huh?" She said, suddenly startled out of her reverie, she shook her head and closed her eyes. "No… no… just… the FBI brought over the evidence for the case that Booth is working on, and I was wondering if you knew anything about it."

"I know that there's no body yet… it was apparently a body dump and then someone came and took the body. I believe that Booth wanted to see if there was anything Hodgins could find in the particulates that the FBI missed."

"So that's why you're not out there…?"

"Yes." She nodded, looking back up at Cam. "Booth will be by at around ten this morning, he's bringing a couple other field agents with him… apparently Sweets felt that Booth is a model partner, and the FBI has been having difficulty keeping these two particular agents from fighting constantly."

"Wait…" Cam said, shaking her head. "Sweets assigned two bickering agents to Seeley?"

"Yes." Brennan nodded, not looking up.

"To show them what being in a partnership is all about?"

"Yes." Brennan nodded. "But we've decided not to announce our sexual relationship to them, in the possibility that it may confuse them, or give them the wrong impression." Brennan said without looking up.

"Whoa, wait… what? Sexual relationship?" Cam said suddenly, though she wasn't surprised by the fact, and Angela had alluded to this fact earlier, but she didn't elaborate, it was just the way that Brennan had just thrown it out there as if it were common knowledge.

"Yes." She said, looking up at Cam. "I thought you were already aware that Booth and I had consummated our relationship and that was why he was the one that called you to let you know that I was sick."

"I… did not know that…" Cam said, nodding her head though she was quite humored by the way Brennan was looking at her.

"This isn't going to affect my job performance, I assure you."

"Oh… I'm sure that it won't… the way you two had been going at it recently, I was afraid that one or both of you was going to explode."

"By … 'going at it', I assume that you're referring to the unresolved sexual tension between us?" Brennan asked innocent.

"That's one way of putting it… yeah…" Cam nodded as she sighed. "I'll leave you to your remains… thanks, Doctor Brennan."

"No problem." Brennan said, without looking up again, as Cam slipped silently from the room, and Brennan returned to her work.

She had just returned to her report on the remains, when her phone buzzed at the edge of the table. She looked at the time, and was surprised to find that it was quarter of ten, and she briefly wondered where the time went. She pressed the button on the phone, and read the text, shaking her head.

**Take my gun out and shoot me.**

She smiled and shook her head, setting the phone down, she heard it buzz again, and lifted it, reading the next text.

**Here, kitty, kitty.**

_Not funny, Booth._

**Little bit funny, where are you?**

_Bone room._

**Put down your bones, and let me see my Bones.**

She shook her head and laughed to herself as she slipped her phone in her pocket as she wrote down a note or two on the clipboard. She walked toward the door, taking a glance back to the bones on the table and sighed as she opened the door and climbed the steps to the lab. The glass doors slid open, and she glanced at her phone one more time, before looking up and catching Booth's eye across the lab. She could see the barely contained smile on his face, and she couldn't help but allow the corner of her lip to curl at the sight of those brown eyes. "You're late." She said, noting that he wasn't, but just thought that it would get a rise out of him if she accused him of it.

"I am not late." He said, looking at his watch. "I'm right on time… early…"

"No, you're late." She said, stepping toward the three suited FBI agents. Agent Culp, a younger blonde agent, a little shorter than Brennan with a fresh look about her stood beside a tall dark haired agent, handsome in features and build, Brennan couldn't help but look him up and down, a glance that didn't get past her partner, not for a second. She then glanced at Booth, her eyes filled with a sweet mischievousness, that he couldn't help but smile at now.

"Hey, Bones." He said out of habit as he turned to the two agents. "Agent Culp, Agent Watts, this is my partner, Doctor Temperance Brennan." He said proudly as she tipped her head at him slightly and held her hand out. Culp shook her hand first, and Booth could tell that Brennan was keeping her handshake firm and hard, what she typically did for first meetings of people that she felt even the slightest bit threatened over.

"Doctor Brennan, Agent Booth speaks very kindly of you." Culp said as she pulled her hand back almost defensively, Booth thought to himself that she may have to check for broken bones when they left, as Brennan smiled tightly.

"As well he should." She said, a glint of humor in her eye. "Partners should always treat one another with respect." She nodded.

"Laying it on a little thick there, huh, Bones?" Booth laughed nervously and received a glare as she shook Agent Watts' hand.

"Bones…" He said in a joking tone, his smile disappearing as soon as she gripped his hand to shake it.

"If you would like to keep all of your parts where God put them, I suggest you call her Doctor Brennan." Booth whispered to the Agent as Brennan gave him a glare over her tight smile and he pulled his hand back.

"It's nice to meet you, Doctor Brennan." Agent Watts changed his tune quite quickly as she turned to Booth and smiled knowingly.

"If you'll excuse me… I have to get back to work… it was very nice to meet both of you. Feel free to tour the lab and look around… don't touch anything… and no platform." She said, giving Booth a stern look as she walked toward him, once she was facing just him, she flashed her eyes up and down his chest, and he let out a breath of slight frustration as she brushed past him and walked toward her office, leaving the three agents on their own. As soon as she disappeared into her office, Booth's phone buzzed with a text message, and he read it, without realizing the goofy grin that adorned his face.

_This is going to be more fun than I ever imagined._


	117. Foreplay

Brennan smiled to herself as she worked through the hundreds of e-mails that had accumulated over her morning in the bone room. She had been able to check her e-mail while she was sick, so she wasn't as horribly behind as she could have been, and her focus was half on the computer, and half on the voice of her partner as he walked around the lab, showing the two agents around. She wasn't at her desk for ten minutes, when a familiar knock came on her door, and she looked up to see Booth leaning against the door frame.

"Can I help you, Agent Booth?" She asked, looking back at the computer, she couldn't help but allow her lip to curl slightly at saying his name that way, she knew it would made him smile, so when she looked up and saw that cocky grin on his face, she knew that she had done her job.

"What are you up to, Doctor Brennan?"

"Me?" She asked, her voice innocent and sweet. "I think you have me confused with someone else. I am a very hard working forensic anthropologist, and I don't have time for your FBI antics. No body out there… this body stays in here."

"Would you care to join the three of us for lunch?"

"I'll check my schedule and get back to you. Was there any particular establishment you had in mind?"

"Diner… we'll be there at one… if you want to join us, you're more than welcome to."

"Well, Agent Booth." She said, standing up, she approached him slowly and he glanced behind him and approached her as her hand reached for his tie, she eyed him carefully as she tipped her head and gave him a seductive smile. "I have quite a lot of work here at the lab… and since… your case doesn't have a body involved." She said, staring at the tie as she played with it in her finger tips, she heard him swallow hard. "Then there really isn't anything that I can do for you right now, is there?" She said tugging at his tie just a little, she looked up into his eyes and saw that he was having a very hard time keeping his cool. "You okay there, Agent Booth… you're looking a little hot under the collar."

"I'm… I'm okay." He stammered, nodding his head. "I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "I'm great." He said, grabbing his tie out of her hand, he gave her a faux glare. "But you… you are evil…"

She smiled at his words and let just a small giggle escape as she suddenly straightened and turned toward her desk. Booth knew that it probably meant that she spotted someone behind her, her attitude taking a complete turn to professional, and when he turned around, he saw agent Culp approaching. "Agent Booth, Watts just got a call from the coroner… they have a body, they think it might be the one for this case." She said, leaning slightly into him. Booth took an immediate step back and glanced to Brennan.

"Hear that, Bones… got a body for you…" Booth clapped his hands, making Culp jump, and Brennan glance in his direction.

"Did they say what condition it was in?" She asked, glancing to the agent, who seemed to be distracted. "Booth!" She said, trying to get his attention, he glanced toward her. "Condition of the body, do I have to go and retrieve evidence?"

"The FBI lab should be bringing it in shortly, Doctor Brennan." Culp said as she gave Booth a smile as she walked out of the office, leaving the two partners alone once again.

"So, Bones… I'll see you at lunch?" He said, watching her look up at him, she did not look impressed.

"I'll see if the body has come by then… I will have to assess the condition and catalogue the evidence that comes with it, and perhaps if I have time after that, I'll be able to break away for an hour or so. I'll call if I won't be there at one."

"Sounds like a plan. See you then."

"I love you." She said, still looking at her screen.

"Love you too." He said quickly before he could stop himself. "Damn…" He said, listening to her giggle at his slip, she looked up in time to see him turn and walk quickly out of her office as she let out another laugh.


	118. Theres No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

Booth sat down at his typical table with the two agents across from him, their noses buried in the menus as he looked out the window.

"Will Doctor Brennan be joining us?" Watts asked with raised eyebrows, Booth's attention snapped in his direction and he tipped his head.

"She may be… why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering." He shrugged. "She's way too hot to be a scientist…"

"Don't be disgusting." Culp replied, giving him a dirty look.

"Hey, if you'd pretty yourself up now and then, I'd have some nice things to say about you, but you wear those ridiculous…"

"Okay, that's enough… what did I say about commenting negatively about one another's attitude, wardrobe, and meal choices?"

"Not to do it." Culp narrowed her eyes at her partner as Watts sighed and stared at the menu. There was a jingle on the door, and Booth looked around to see Brennan walking in, carrying several folders in her hands, he stood up and pulled her chair out, to which she gave him an odd look and smiled, thanking him as she sat down across from the other two agents.

"Doctor Brennan, it's so nice to see you again." Agent Watts said, watching her smile and give him a confused glance as she pushed the menu away from herself and set the folders down on the table.

"I find it unnecessary to greet one another as if we have been friends for a considerable amount of time, Agent Watts. You can act just as professional with your mouth closed and your eyes on mine. My breasts do not speak, so there is no sense in willing them to do so with your eyes." She said politely as Booth suddenly coughed, trying to hide his laugh. She turned to look at him, and she could see a sparkle in his eyes, that she chose to ignore for a moment, her hand moving to her leg as she glanced back toward the waitress, she snuck her hand to the side and squeezed his leg, making him jump.

"Okay!" He said, noting that her eyes moving toward the waitress had indeed distracted the other two agents into looking back there, so she had been able to touch his leg without them noticing.

"Doctor Brennan, were you able to find anything from the body?" Culp asked, and for a moment Brennan actually thought that she wouldn't be dealing with two agents that knew nothing of the job that Booth and she worked so hard to perfect, and it made her smile.

"Well, the remains were transported to the lab, and right now Doctor Saroyan is looking over the flesh…" She said, pulling the photos out of the folder, Booth didn't even flinch, but as soon as Agent Watts saw the photos, she noted that his complexion turned a lot greener than it had been previously. "You'll notice the indentation here in the skull…" She said, leaning over to Culp, who was keeping her cool a lot better than her partner, who couldn't bear to even look at the anthropologist, and she was thoroughly enjoying this moment of power. "You'll note the fracture radiating from this… point, indicating that the weapon used was round and cylindrical…"

"Do we have to look at those right before lunch?" Watts asked, as Culp glared at him, and looked back at the photograph.

"Alright, so a pipe, huh?" Booth asked, looking at the photo, he pulled it around to look at it, and handed it to Brennan.

"Well, you can't make an assumption like that based on a photograph, Booth."

"But it was probably a pipe." Booth nodded.

"I won't know until we get the particulate studies back from Hodgins, conjecture is not what I do, Booth."

"Yeah, but making things up, is part of crime solving." Booth replied, glancing to Culp, who was watching intently as the two of them bickered back and forth.

"You don't make stories up… you go with the evidence, Booth… not everything is just easy as cake…"

"Pie, Bones… easy as pie… which I would love to have today… you want some?"

"You know I don't eat pie… what is wrong with you anyway… you have this little attitude thing going on, you need to relax…stop being so uptight." Brennan said, looking up at the waitress as she approached. She greeted the two agents with a smile, and Brennan smiled up at her. "I'll have my usual."

"Same here." Booth replied. "Thanks."

The other two agents ordered, and the four of them talked here and there about the case and other random things as a phone call came in, halfway through the meal. Brennan answered the phone and listened, letting her fork play around in her plate of lettuce for a second as she nodded. "Okay, Hodgins, I'll be right over…" She said, closing her phone. She started to stand up.

"Whoa, wait… where are you going?" Booth asked, resisting the urge to grab her hand as she gave the three of them a polite smile.

"Hodgins thinks he knows where the body was dumped before it was dumped behind that dumpster… he needs me to check a couple of things…"

"Like what?"

"Stop being so nosy. It was nice to see you again", she said to the two agents across the table from her. "I'll see you later, Boo…th…" She said, coughing a little as she cleared her throat. She was just turning around when she looked back at him and smiled as she reached over and grabbed a French fry off his plate and brought her lips to his ear to whisper. "And that tie… it looks horrible with your eyes." She said, shrugging and giving him a look, she watched the surprised look on his face. "I'm just saying…" She said, shoving the fries into her mouth and shuffling the folders in her hands. "Enjoy your lunch, I'll see you later…"

"Yeah…" Booth said, watching her turn to walk toward the door.

"She didn't pay for her lunch…" Culp said, noting the lack of payment from Booth's partner, she seemed a bit confused.

"Oh yeah? You noticed that too?" Booth said, rolling his eyes as he took a bite out of his hamburger and chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he watched Brennan glance back at him through the window as she walked past, fully behind the other two agents, she blew him a kiss, and he did everything in his power not to let his full grin appear.


	119. RESPECT? Tell you what it means to B&B

Booth sauntered into the lab with the other two agents close behind, his eyes roaming the lab as he saw Hodgins look over the platform toward them. "Hey Booth." He said, giving a short wave as he pulled out the stool for the microscope and sat down.

"Hey, Hodgins… Bones said you found something."

"Uh… yeah…" He said a bit distractedly, he walked to the edge of the platform and flashed a smile to the other two agents. "Man, Doctor B. has been in a really awesome mood all day… what kind of meds is she on?" He laughed, shaking his head as Booth failed to find the humor. Hodgin's smile faded, but returned when he saw that Booth was just hiding a smirk. "Come on up… I'll show you what I found." He said.

Booth, not thinking of the grotesque nature of the body or the crime scene details, waved to the other agents to follow him, and pulled out his key card, he swiped it and climbed onto the platform along with the other two agents. As soon as Watts saw the body, he made a gagging sound and turned away, his feet carrying him quickly to the other end of the platform.

"Whoa, what's wrong with him?" Hodgins asked as he gave the other agent a sweet smile.

"He gets a little squeamish." Culp said matter-of-factly. "Must have a weak stomach or something."

"Yeah, Hodgins here has an iron gullet." Booth teased, smacking the bug man on the back, Hodgins smiled. "What do you have for me, bug man?" Booth said, looking at the screen.

Hodgins began his explanation, and Booth heard the familiar sound of feet clacking on the tile floor, the sound of a security card being passed through the card reader, and the quick pace of those same shoes across the platform.

"Did you tell Booth what we found?" Brennan asked.

"What he found." Booth teased, watching his partner roll her eyes.

"That's right, give credit where credit is due." Hodgins said as he flipped through several screens on the computer.

"Hodgins?" Booth and Brennan said at the same time.

"Alright, alright… don't get your holster all in a bunch, big guy…" Hodgins said as he started his explanation. As he explained to Booth, Brennan wandered over to Agent Watts, who was poking around at one of the tables across the platform. She gave him a stern glare and he looked up when he saw the blue labcoat.

"Hey, Doctor Brennan."

"I'm sure that Agent Booth has informed you that you're not to touch anything on the forensic platform. All instruments must remain untouched for sterile examination purposes."

"Sterile? The people up here are dead, they're not going to catch anything." He said, his tone obviously defiant. Brennan crossed her arms over her chest and glared.

"Agent Watts, unless you're as ignorant as you come across, you would know that people carry with them many types of organisms, we drop skin cells, hair, and our bodies shed a multitude of other cells and trace evidence of their presence. We keep our tools and instruments sterile in order to minimize the contamination of evidence. I would appreciate it if you keep your hands off the instruments, the tables, and anything else in this lab, unless you'd like to be ejected without further discussion." She said sternly, as she felt a hand lightly on her back, she knew exactly who it was.

"Hey Bones, what's going on over here?"

"Agent Watts is a twit." She said simply, turning around, she brushed past Booth, allowing their hands to touch for just a brief second before she stormed toward the steps of the platform and back toward her office.

"I have absolutely no idea how you can work with that woman every day, Man." Watts said as he started to walk past Booth. "My sympathies."

"Listen." Booth said, grabbing the other agent by his arm, he turned. "This lab is her domain, do you got it? What she says, goes in this lab. It's not because I am whipped, and it's not that she makes me feel stupid or insignificant… it's because when it comes to this lab, she knows all… and I give her that respect, do you understand? I give her the respect that she deserves because she's my partner… and just like you and I use our guns to protect our partners… she uses her science and the truth to protect hers. I would appreciate it if you'd keep your attitude at home, and your attention to the case, because we're not here to socialize, we're here to learn." He growled as the younger agent simply nodded. "Now if you were listening to what Hodgins was explaining, you'd know that we have a lead on a suspect… so pick your pride up off the floor and let's get going." He said as he released the agent's arm.

He nodded and let the two agents walk ahead of him down the platform steps, patting Hodgins on the back as he went. He didn't for a moment miss the form standing in the doorway of Brennan's office, he knew that figure way too well not to. He saw her eyes on his and he smiled as he walked behind the two agents, almost as if he was leading two suspects. He gave her a wink, and a charming smile that lit up Brennan's face with a smile as well, and he rolled his eyes and smiled again as she let out a light laugh that only he heard as he led the two agents back out of the lab again.


	120. Where the Wild Things Are

Brennan busied herself in the kitchen, she was quiet and alone, two things that she hadn't been lately. She had just finished cutting up some vegetables, and checked her phone to see if Booth had called or texted to let her know he was on his way. She sighed, and pouted just a little bit when she noticed that the phone had no messages or missed calls, and she turned to grab the bottle of antibiotics from the counter. She opened the bottle and popped a pill into her mouth with a quick swig of water from the glass beside her, just as she heard the door to the apartment closing. "Booth?" She called out curiously, unsure if she had locked the door or not, she heard shoes tumbling to the floor and knew it was him.

"Yes, it's just me, I know you and how popular you are with the gentlemen, that you weren't sure which one was walking into your apartment unannounced, which is why you keep your door unlocked, I assume?" He asked, leaning on the door frame, he took in her form and flashed a sweet smile.

"No, I accidentally left it unlocked…" She said, pulling a pan from beneath the cupboard, she looked up to him. "And if I knew that and unlocked door would attract people like you…" She paused as she set the pan on the stove. She walked toward him and gently put her arms around his neck, leaning up and in for a kiss. "I'd leave it wide open, all of the time." Her voice was soft and seductive, and was able to coax that cocky grin out of him.

"Mm…" He mumbled, his lips once again on hers, he tightened his grip around her waist as he pecked playfully at her neck, forcing her to let out a surprised sound that resembled a squeak. He kissed her right below her ear, and suddenly felt all of her weight hanging from his neck as she lifted her feet from the ground and let him spin her around as she laughed and called for him to stop. He stopped moving for a moment, and her feet once again touched the floor and she moved her arms to his waist. "How are you my little squintcess?" He whispered against her hair, dropping a kiss into it as he took a deep breath of its sweet smell.

"I'm doing well… you're here earlier than I expected."

"Yeah, well… the suspect wasn't where we thought we'd find him. I have Culp and Watts working on interviews with a couple of people in his apartment building, and I didn't want to spend another moment around them. They're so mean to one another." He said, kissing her cheek, her ear, her neck.

"I find Agent Watts to be quite full of himself… and Agent Culp… I didn't really have a conversation long enough to really make an opinion, but she seems to be quite enamored by you." She whispered, touching his face with her hand, as she made eye contact with him. She could see in his eyes that he wanted to make a joke, but was holding back. He knew that deep down, her comment was made out of insecurity, and wanted to ensure her that he had nothing but the purest intentions.

"It doesn't matter." He shrugged, resting his forehead on hers. "I am already enamored with someone else, and I'm far too gone to see anyone but her." He whispered as he rocked her gently in his arms.

"Really? And she likes you back?"

"She has said that… yeah… once in a while…"

"And she deals well with your cocky attitude, and your taste in socks."

"Oh baby… she loves my socks…" He said letting out a slight chuckle as her face suddenly became serious. "What's going on in that big brain of yours, Bones?"

"Thank you." She said, swallowing a bit hard as he gave her an understanding smile. "You do know though… that I don't need you to defend me."

"I wasn't defending just you, Bones. I was defending us, our partnership. I have a lot of respect for you, both in and out of the lab… a lot of respect."

"How about kisses, do you have a lot of those?"

"Kisses? That's what you want?"

"Mmmhmm…" She said, leaning her head against his chest, he squeezed her. "And more." She whispered.

"I thought we were having dinner." He said, noting that she had cut up vegetables, and the pan was on the stove, but it wasn't turned on yet.

"Seeley Booth, always thinking of his stomach." She whispered with a slight giggle, her face becoming a different kind of serious, a seductive serious. One look from those beautiful blue eyes, one or two little eyelash bats, and he was a goner. "Dinner can wait." She whispered. "I want to make you hungrier, first." She growled into his neck as he let out a laugh.

"Geez, Bones… you're acting like we haven't…" His sentence was cut off by her mouth crashing into his, and her hands against his chest, pushing him backwards toward the doorway. He moved quickly backwards, trusting that she knew where she was leading them, and that she knew where everything was in her apartment so that they didn't tumble over any of her fancy artifacts that her apartment was full of. Faster and faster they moved backwards, until his legs hooked onto the arm of the couch and the two of them went tumbling backwards. His arms instinctively grabbed around her waist, and she let out a laugh against his mouth as they landed hard against the large cushions. "Are you trying to kill me?" He managed to catch his breath from her insistent kisses.

"You never know what the future holds, Booth." She said wickedly, listening to the groan from beneath her as she captured his lips with hers once again, as they became wildly lost in one another.


	121. Black Out Blues

After dinner, Brennan settled on the couch as Booth finished loading the dishwasher. Booth walked around the corner from the kitchen and let out a slight chuckle as he watched her sit with her feet dangling over the arm of the couch, her back flat on the couch as she kicked them in the air, his striped socks adorning her feet as she quietly dared him to come closer. "What on earth are you doing?"

"Being bored." She said, watching him appear above her, his eyes were filled with amusement.

"We wouldn't be bored if we stayed at my place."

"No, you mean that you wouldn't be bored if we stayed at your place, and if you're bored, you can go stay at your place." She said, kicking her feet, she made light contact with his leg, and he turned sharply to face her. "What?" She laughed.

"You kicked me."

"No, you got in the way of my kicking."

"What are you, a six year old?" He asked, as suddenly there was a rumble of thunder outside. "Sounds like a storm is heading in." He said, walking toward the bedroom.

"Hey, where are you going?" She asked, rolling off the couch, she followed him toward the bedroom, finding him standing beside the French doors out to the small balcony.

"I was going to watch the storm come in." He said, watching as she stood behind him, her arms folded across her chest, she reached around him and made sure they were locked.

"No… no, it's okay." She said, turning around to walk out. "Leave the doors closed." She said. He turned as a rumble of thunder came through, and he swore he saw her tremble.

"Bones?"

"Just keep the doors closed. I don't want the rain getting inside." She said as she started to walk out of the bedroom.

"Bones, come here…" He said, following her as she walked out of the room. "Bones?"

"What?" She said, watching him look at her with concerned eyes.

"What's wrong?" He asked, reaching her in time to grab her hand before she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Nothing is wrong." She said as a flash of lightning lit up the room, and he was sure that he felt her tremble.

"Bones, I didn't know you were afraid of storms, when we were at the cabin…"

"It's different here." She stated simply. "It's different at night, when it goes dark, it goes black." She said, tugging her hand from his, he watched her disappear into the kitchen.

"Bones, where are you going?"

"I'm getting the candles out."

"You're not going to lose power… it's okay." He said as she stopped and turned around, her eyes were extremely serious. "Bones, talk to me, please?"

"Just let me get the candles out, okay? I'll feel better once they're out." She said, opening several drawers in the kitchen, she pulled out two candle holders, and two long white tapers. She kept her eyes concentrated on those candles as she moved around the kitchen , his eyes on her the entire time, and when there was another flash of lighting, and a loud crash of thunder, she literally jumped, her eyes closing, the candle tumbled from her hand, and he had made it to her side before it hit the floor, catching it with his left hand, as his right hand encircled her waist. "Booth, stop." She said, pushing against him.

"You don't need candles." He whispered against her, pulling into him. "It's okay…"

"Stop telling me what I do or don't need." She said between gritted teeth, she pushed hard at his chest and moved away from her, her hand moving to her stomach.

"You're not being rational about this, Bones." He said, watching her stop and stare at him for a moment, her face was emotionless and frightened, and suddenly the rain started pounding against the windows and roof of the apartment building, and the wind howled angrily. She continued her task, lighting a match from a box, she carefully let it dance on the wick of the candle as it melted the excess wax, and began the candle burning. She stood with the candle in her hand and turned toward Booth.

"I'll tell you what isn't rational." She said, approaching him quickly with the unlit candle in her other hand, she placed it in his hand firmly and her eyes stared into his hauntingly. "What isn't rational is leaving a fifteen year old girl locked in a car trunk with no food or water for two days during a thunder and lightning storm… That isn't rational, and if you can find the rationality in that, I'd like to hear it." She said, slamming a pack of matches into his hand as she turned and walked away, leaving him speechless in her wake.

Booth set the candle and matches on the counter after a moment, following his partner and girlfriend into her bedroom, he found the room dark but for the glittering dance of the candle on her bedside table. He said nothing as he noted the lump in the middle of the bed, blankets covering her body, he carefully put his weight on the bed as he listened to the howling wind and rain slamming against the doors, making them rattle.

"Hey, baby…" He whispered, tugging her blanket, he felt her tremble with the next rumble of thunder. "Let me in." He said softly, "Please let me in."

"Just let it pass." She whispered. "It'll pass, and when it's past, I'll be fine, just let it pass." She whispered.

"Bones, please…" He whispered.

"Just let it pass, Booth."

"Don't you trust me?" He whispered, feeling her grip tighten on the blanket over her, she wouldn't let him pull it off of her.

"I trust you."

"Then let me in." He said, tugging the blanket. "Come on, Bones… it's okay… just let me in…" Her body was shaking, and she still refused to allow him to pull the blanket, so he did what he had to do, and instead of forcing it from her head, he instead pulled her into him, blanket and all.

"Stop." She said, though not fighting him, she felt his arms around her, holding her, comforting her. She coughed a little, and whimpered. "Just let it pass."

Suddenly, there was a sharp crash of thunder, and everything in the room went black. There was no clock, no lights under the door, nothing but the golden glow of the candle. "How the hell did you know that was going to happen?" Booth asked her in a whisper, her breathing labored beneath the blanket as the storm continued to howl. "Bones, that's enough!" He exclaimed, pulling the blanket from her head, they were face to face, the only thing lighting them was the flashes of light outside, and the constant flickering of the candle beside the bed. "You can't breathe under there." He whispered, his eyes on hers as the fire from the candle reflected the fear at full force back at him.

"And I'm afraid to breathe out here." She managed to whimper, as she closed her eyes and moved forward, burying her head in his shoulder as he wrapped his arms protectively around her, and held her against him through the worst of the raging storm that surrounded them.


	122. Barefoot and Belligerent

After almost a half hour of continuous thunder and lightning, Booth could feel Brennan relax against him, her body had been so tense, trembling uncontrollably against his body the entire time, and when the storm began to wane, so did her grip on him, her breathing regulated, and her fingers no longer gripping his shirt. He kissed her head and watched the flickering candlelight on the walls and ceiling, dancing with the wind that managed to make its way into the apartment just slightly. "Bones?" He whispered, trying to see if she was awake, or just relaxed. "Bones, are you alright?" He whispered, pushing her very tenderly to see if he could get a look at her face, he noted that she was awake, for she turned her head so that he couldn't see her face, her eyes closed. "Stop being stubborn, Bones… look at me."

"I don't want to talk." She whispered. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Nothing to talk about? You just had a massive panic attack."

"And now it's over. We can move on." She said, rolling in his arms, she faced away from him and rested her head on the pillow. "Can you wrap your arm around me?" She whispered, her voice was small and lost as the wind continued to howl outside, and as asked, his arm was wrapped securely around her. "The power is still out." She stated, her voice still high and soft.

"That's right."

"But you're here." She whispered, obviously trying to keep calm.

"That's right." He said, as a low growl of thunder rumbled in the distance. "I'm right here, and I'm not…" Suddenly, he heard the shrill ring of his phone in his pocket. "Shit." He whispered.

"Is that your phone?"

"Yeah… hopefully, if I ignore it, it'll go away." He whispered.

"Booth, you can't ignore your phone. It could be work, it could be important." She paused. "Your two new partners may have shot one another."

"First of all… my two 'NOT' partners… and second of all, you're right…" He said, pulling his phone out of his pocket, he kept a tight hold on Brennan, who just cuddled into him. "Booth." He said, his voice gruff and deep. "What do you… no…" He said shaking his head. "No, I said… absolutely not… you will wait until I get there." He said with a sigh. "I will be there when I get there, if you make a move, I swear, God as my witness, I will shoot the both of you." He said, flipping the phone closed, he tossed the phone off the bed, and rolled a bit, the thunder still rumbling outside. "Get changed." He said, starting to pull from her, he caught her glance of confusion. "Don't look at me like that, get some clothes on, you're coming with me."

"I can't come with you, I'm not on the case with you."

"Yeah, but I'm not leaving you here alone and panicking…"

"I'm not panicking now…"

"I saw the weather on the news this afternoon, Bones, the storms are going to be rolling through all night… you are not staying here alone."

"I always handled it fine on my own before, Booth. I'm fine."

"Well, I'm not." He said, rolling out of the bed. "I'm not fine… get some jeans on… you're coming with me, no arguments… don't make me get caveman on your ass, because I will."

"I don't know what that means." She said, rolling onto her back, the light from the candle flickering off his face as he shook his head.

"It involves a club over the head and dragging you out by your hair…"

"Booth, there is no evidence that…"

"Stop." He said, pointing at her as he looked around the room for his socks. "Stop right there, you will not ruin my Flintstone's fantasy!" he said with a hint of a smile, finally remembering that she was wearing his socks, he turned quickly and grabbed her feet.

"LET GO!"

"I need my socks!"

"GO BAREFOOT!" She exclaimed as she laughed, kicking her feet as he pulled at the sock on her one foot.

"I can't go barefoot!" He exclaimed, finally pulling the socks off her feet, he looked at her pouting face on the bed. "Get up and get dressed, you lazy anthropologist."

"Big ape." She muttered as she rolled off the bed, and pouted as she looked for her jeans in the darkened bedroom, feeling much calmer and more secure than ever, at the hands of her protector.

* * *

Dressed in the almost completely dark apartment, Booth took her hand as they walked out of the bedroom holding the candle. "Why are you holding my hand?" She whispered.

"Because it is going to be dark when I blow out the candle." He said softly as they stepped toward the door.

"Why are you whispering?" She giggled, watching him turn and glare at her, she giggled more as he smiled and shook his head.

"I don't know, when it's dark, I whisper." He shrugged.

"I still don't understand why you are going to hold my hand simply because it's dark." She replied as they walked to the door, he placed the candle on the table next to the door. "I'm not afraid of the dark, I just don't like storms…" She said as they stepped out into the hallway, dimly lit by the emergency lights, he started to let go of her hand, and she gripped it harder.

"I thought you didn't want to hold my hand." He teased, watching the glare on her face as it was his turn to laugh.

"I didn't say I didn't want to hold your hand, just that… I wasn't afraid of the dark, I was just making that clear."

"Okay, Bones…" He said with a laugh, opening the door to the stairwell, they made their way downstairs quietly by the light of the emergency lights in the stairwell, hand in hand.


	123. Masters of the Banterverse

Booth pulled the SUV up to the Hoover building, finding Watts and Culp sitting in their FBI issued vehicle waiting. Brennan remained in the SUV, flipping through the file folder, her focus primarily on the pages in front of her as he glanced to her. "I'll be right back." He said, watching her nod without looking up. She waited for a moment, waited for him to walk to the driver's side, and she half listened to the conversation, cracking the window without looking up, she could tell that Booth was really upset about the two partner's behavior.

Apparently, they had gotten a lead on the suspect and had attempted to apprehend him in order to talk to him. He had run, and they lost track of him, and when they caught up with him again, they had called Booth as backup. Booth told them to back off, and now he was giving them a little 'pep' talk, and telling them to give it up for the night, that they had impeded the investigation enough. She looked up to see that he was glancing at her, and then his voice lowered as he spoke to them through the window. The last thing he said to the two agents was that they were improving, and if they called him again about something this stupid, that he'd use them for target practice. Brennan found that a smirk was rising on her face as her focus slipped back to the folder in front of him.

In another moment, Booth was sliding into the driver's seat again, glancing to his partner as he looked out the window, watching the two agents staring at them for a moment as their car pulled out. "Have you ever considered raising children with me?" He asked, a humored grin rising on his lips as his partner's eyes lifted to his, wide and full of shock, her jaw slacked. He let out a chuckle, and she still found herself speechless. "Geez, Bones…You'd think I asked you for a kidney or something."

"What kind of question is that?" She asked, still trying to stop her reeling mind as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and continued chuckling.

"Forget it, Bones… I was just… nevermind." He laughed.

"No, really, what did you… ?"

"I just mean… between taking care of those two… and taking care of you when you're sick, you've seen that I'm a pretty good caretaker, right?"

"You're a fantastic caretaker, Booth… but I don't see how that has anything to do with me raising children with you. You nearly gave me heart palpitations." She said, watching a shadow of something slip over his features. "I don't mean… I don't mean that I… that… is something people typically talk about when they're in a committed relationship for an extended period of time, Booth. We've only been in a relationship for a couple of weeks, and I didn't…"

"It's okay, Bones… it's okay…" He said, reaching his hand up, he rested it on her neck as he leaned forward, she tilted her head and leaned in, putting a tender kiss on his lips, he groaned against her mouth, and she was fairly sure that all of her fears had melted into the air. He moved from the kiss and rested his forehead on hers. "For what it's worth… you're fantastic with Parker."

"He's an easily manageable child, Booth… that's not to say he gets that from his father, because clearly you're a very high maintenance individual with your special need to wear socks with your shoes despite the comfort of your girlfriend, and your snoring habits that inhibit the sleeping patterns of others, and your…"

"I do not snore!"

"You most certainly do… I have never heard a sniper snore so loudly… you could probably wake the comatose, if not the deceased… I recommend you don't sleep anywhere near the lab…" She said, allowing a slight giggle in her voice as he started the car. "We don't need any of our murder victims waking up looking for vengence."

"You know what? Next time, I'm leaving you in the apartment with the thunder and the lightning and the darkness." He said, giving her a fake glare that she gladly returned.

"Well that's fine… I have an extra locking mechanism that I can engage when you're out lecturing your followers, and leaving your poor innocent girlfriend stranded alone just because you lack a sense of humor." She teased back.

"Are you going to tell me about it?" He said, his voice becoming serious as he watched her eyes lighten a bit.

"When the time is right." She whispered, glancing out the window as they pulled out of the parking garage.

"I'll be waiting with a hug." He replied, absolutely solemn and serious.

"I will appreciate that." She said, kissing him softly on the lips as she leaned back in her seat, watching him diligently as they made their way back to her apartment.


	124. Riders On The Storm

By the time Booth and Brennan arrived back at Brennan's apartment, the lights were back on. Still, he held her hand up the stairs and to the door, where he pulled her in front of him and kissed her cheek as he reached around her and unlocked the door. She made a slightly irritated sound, and he kissed her ear. "I know you can unlock your own door, I'm quite acquainted with your abilities, thanks…" He said, watching her turn around in his arms as he pushed the door open with his hand, she gave him a smirk as he wrapped his arms around her and pushed her backwards gently into the apartment as she let out a laugh.

"How did you know that I was going to…"

"Because that's what you always do." He said, leaning down, he kissed her lips and she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck as he kicked the door closed, pulling her backwards across the floor, she laughed against his mouth as he maneuvered her into the bedroom. "You're a Miss Know-it-all."

"I…" She said as she pulled from the kiss and tipped her head. "I don't know what that means."

"I'll show you what it means!" He exclaimed, lifting her up, he tossed her onto the bed, collapsing on top of her, he pressed his lips to hers and listened to her tender giggle against his mouth as he found her neck with his lips, sending her kicking at the bed beneath her as she giggled and tried to roll away from him.

"How is this showing me how I'm a Miss Know-It-All? It feels to me like you're just attempting to take advantage of me!"

"Take advantage? Take advantage? I don't take advantage… I don't have to take advantage, you just let me have it."

"You want me to let you have it?" She asked, giggling a little as he rolled over, letting her land atop him, he pressed his lips to hers again, running his hands over her body, she felt his hand move up the back of her shirt, his soft skin against her back, she shivered as he devoured her mouth, kissing her fully and completely, until she was fighting for breath, and not caring if she ever had another one. Fingers were fumbling, and hands were roaming, when suddenly, there was a large crash of thunder, and the lights flickered a little, but as soon as the crash occurred, seemingly causing the building to shake on its foundation, or so it seemed to Brennan, who immediately pushed from his arms. Her face had gone completely pale, and she was trying to get up.

"Where are you going?" He asked, watching her scramble to try to get up, he reached out and grabbed her arms, feeling her struggling, he rolled to the side and on top of her.

"Booth, stop." She grunted as she tried to pull away from him. "I need to get up."

"Where are you going?" He asked, feeling her tremble, watching her eyes look up when there was another loud crash of thunder, and the lightning flashed in the room, filling it with light.

"Candle." She said, pushing at his chest. "I need to get the candle, so if the lights…"

"You don't need a candle." He said, bringing his lips to hers, she turned her head and struggled in his arms. "Bones, please?"

"No! Just get off of me, I need to get the candle!" She exclaimed, tears springing to her eyes. "You're crushing me."

"I am not crushing you… stop, stop being unreasonable about this, I'm right here… you don't need a candle."

"Yes! Yes I do! If the lights go out, it is very dark, very loud… just let me do this, I need to do this."

"No, you don't need to do this. Stop."

"Stop? Stop? You stop! Get off of me and let me go get the goddamned candle before I… before I…"

"Before you what, Bones? Hurt me? Kick me? Say something you don't mean?"

"Just let go of me!" She growled, her eyes on his as the storm began to rage outside.

"I am not letting go of you, I'm proving to you that you don't need that candle!"

"I do need the candle! I don't need you!" She exclaimed, arching her back she pushed him, sending him tumbling onto the bed, she climbed off the bed and ran from the room quickly.

"Bones!" He exclaimed, but as soon as the door slammed, the apartment was bathed in darkness again. She had just gotten out of the room, there was no way for her to get to the candle before the lights made everything go black, and before he could think another thing, he was off the bed, tumbling toward the door, crashing into her dresser, cursing the pain in his knee before he reached the door. He swung it open and for a moment couldn't believe the darkness of the room. The only light was from the windows, where the lightning flashed periodically, the streets now dark from the electricity cut from the storm, there was no light. "Bones, where are you?" He called, looking toward the table where the candle lay in wait, the flashes of lightning making it visible for a second at a time. "Bones, where are you?" He demanded again, this time louder, he immediately noticed her crumpled form beside the bedroom, rolled in a ball, no sound, nothing, just his partner rocking herself silently. "Bones…" He said softly as he leaned down and touched her, his heart breaking when she flinched. "Bones, please…"

"Let it pass." She whispered.

"No." He said, reaching down, he lifted her into his arms. She didn't struggle, only gripped him tightly in her arms.

"Candle." She whispered.

"You don't need a candle." He whispered again, carrying her into the bedroom. Gently, he lay her on the bed, watching in agony as she rolled onto her side, trembling, she clenched her eyes tightly, and rocked herself. "Bones, please?" He said, laying down on his side, right against her, he began to run his fingers through her hair. "I'm right here…" He said softly.

"Go get me a candle." She whispered. "I need light."

"Kiss me." He whispered. There was silence from his partner, and he held his arms around her tightly. "Bones… please?"

"I need light… please…" She whimpered.

"Bones…" He whispered. "When I was…eleven years old, I came home from school and my dad… he was drunk… again." He said, with absolutely no idea why he was telling her this. "He was hitting my mom, not even hitting her… he was beating her… and she was lying on the floor, crying… bleeding." He whispered. "I yelled at my dad, told him to stop… and he… he grabbed me, and he dragged me into the bathroom, looking for a bar of soap." He whispered, noticing that her whimpering had stopped. The storm was still raging, the wind and rain slamming against the side of the building. "My mom, she told him to stop, but she couldn't stop him… and when he pulled out a new bar of soap, he gave me no warning… nothing… he just… shoved the bar of soap into my mouth as hard as he could."

"Booth." She whispered, noticing that now he was trembling, his body pulling her pain into his own as he held her close. He could feel her relaxing into him as he spoke.

"He knocked out one of my teeth… one of my permanent teeth… this one…" He pointed at it, tapping one of his front teeth… this isn't a real tooth." He whispered, admitting to the pain from his past. "He made me go to school like that, no front tooth… until a teacher took pity on me… all of the teasing… I guess that's why my smile is kind of crooked now." He said, shrugging. He kissed the top of her head, noting her silence, her comfort as she now lay against him, no longer curled up.

"I love your smile." She whispered against him, and with a crash of thunder, and several flashes of lightning, she lay against him, thinking of nothing but his pain, and caring not for the storm that was outside, but only for the storm that was in her heart against a man she hoped she never met, for she knew that if she did, it would not be a cheerful reunion. "I love your smile." She repeated.

"I love you, Bones." He whispered, kissing the top of her head, as they rode out the storm, and their pain together.


	125. That Spark

Her eyes were on the blinking clock, the '12:00' flashing on and off, on and off. She could tell by the light outside that it was earlier than she'd have to wake for work, so she didn't panic about the time, or work, or anything. She took a slow, deep breath and released it, feeling his strong arms around her, squeezing her closer to him, his lips settling on her temple, he couldn't see her eyes.

"You're awake early." He whispered, sure that she was awake, she was amazed by how he had memorized her patterns.

"Mm…" She confirmed. "So are you."

He smiled against her skin, dropping another kiss on her temple. "We just don't know how early."

"I think it's nearly six." She whispered, feeling his hand move to his pocket, he pulled his cell phone out and looked at the time.

"It's ten of…very good, Bones."

"I am very intelligent." She whispered, letting her voice take on a cocky tone, she turned her head and their eyes caught for several moments, wordlessly speaking. "Are you okay?" She whispered, watching his eyes. They narrowed just a bit as he smiled.

"I'm okay."

"You didn't… have to…"

"It worked, didn't it?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "You needed something else to think about, something else to focus on."

"But you took my pain, and you replaced it with yours."

"Give and take, Bones… that's what love is all about… give and take…" He said, kissing her cheek, keeping her eyes in focus with his. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yes." She whispered, turning her head, she pushed back in his arms a little, she wanted to be comfortable, because he never asked easy questions, especially after the night that they had.

"You've been all around the world… mass graves, buried alive, held at gunpoint, chased by bad guys… you've worked to identify people in floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes… you and I have been in storms before, Bones… why… are you so terrified…? It doesn't make sense to me."

She could feel the warmth rising in her cheeks, she could feel her walls rebuilding and her mouth going dry. She never talked about her fears, not to Booth, not to anyone, and she didn't want to feel weak, she didn't want him to know that she could be weak. She felt his hand on her arm, slowly rubbing her skin as he tried to coax her out of building those walls, tried to let her keep control without falling apart.

"It's not… the storm." She whispered finally. "I don't mind… storms, I don't mind dark… alone… or even in places that are open, it's my apartment." She whispered.

"I don't understand."

"Here… this is my sanctuary." She whispered. "I am supposed to feel safe here, I am supposed to feel guarded… like I was supposed to in that foster home… do you understand?"

"And when your control was taken away from you, you were left in a storm… with no way out… in the dark?"

"Yes." She whispered. "When I go to those places… that have no electricity, or have no clean water, no light…I always bring candles… or flashlights, or something that will emit light." She whispered. "When I was in Guatemala, there was a storm coming in, and I had left my bag in the main tent… I had nothing but a small keychain. It was dark, so dark… and I was starting to have a panic attack until I remembered the tiny pen light on my keys." She whispered. "So I took it out and held the button down in my tent… just so I could see light… I fell asleep that night with the storm… but I just needed to see light, and I didn't panic."

"Bones?" He whispered, kissing the back of her head, he heard her hum a reply.

"Next time you're scared of a thunder and lightning storm…"

"Yeah…?" She whispered.

"Look for me… okay? Look for me, not candles…"

"Why?" She whispered, her voice soft and innocent, waiting for his reply.

"Because I think between you and I… we can make sparks brighter than any candle…" He said, watching her pause for a second, before rolling around and looking him in the eyes, her lips were curled up in a challenging smile.

"Really?"

"Really." He nodded.

"Care to show me how?" She whispered, raising her eyebrows innocently, he felt her fingers grasp his t-shirt tightly as she pulled herself impossibly closer to him.

"Doctor Brennan… I dare ask… are you experimenting on me again?" He whispered, raising his eyebrows at her as she rolled her eyes and gave him a coy smile.

"If you're not up for the challenge, Agent Booth… I can go find someone who is." She said as she started to roll out of the bed, he grabbed her quickly and swung her around, flopping her onto his other side, before rolling on top of her, listening to her giggling the entire time. "Booth! Let me go!" She laughed as he let his forehead rest on hers and smiled wickedly into her eyes with his own.

"Never." He whispered, burying his laugh into her neck as she squealed and pushed against his tickles.


	126. Proposition

"Are you serious?" Brennan said, leaning back in her chair, she shook her head as her partner nodded his. "You can't be serious!" She said, putting her coffee back down on the table, she leaned forward, the smile on her face was simply radiant, and he couldn't help to give one back to her.

"I'm completely, absolutely serious." He said, holding his hands up innocently.

"You need to get that man a woman, Booth… seriously… and someone who will put up with stuff like that, too." Brennan shook her head. "Perhaps a lobotomy… castration works as well." She nodded seriously as he cringed.

They had moved their morning ritual out of the apartment fairly quickly once they had gotten out of bed and showered twice, once together and once separately. When the hot water was suitably drained, and the two agents made it to the diner, they found themselves amidst a colorful conversation about Booth's two charges, waiting for them to arrive for the day to start.

He shook his head and laughed at her castration joke, lifting his coffee mug to his lips, he smiled across the table at her and then placed the mug down. "This is nice." He said, smiling across at her, the morning sunlight drifting through the window, making her jewelry glitter in its brightness, she tipped her head and gave him a confused look.

"What, breakfast at the diner?"

"Yeah."

"We've had breakfast here before, Booth… we're usually always here when we're not at the office."

"I know, I was just thinking about how nice it is." He shrugged. "Maybe I should brush up on my adjectives."

She let out a laugh, watching him chuckle as he sipped his coffee with a smile on his face. "Uh oh…" She said suddenly, leaning forward, she watched him question it, when someone walked right up to the table. She looked up and smiled, and Booth did the same.

"Heya, Sweets."

"Doctor Brennan… Booth." Sweets said as he raised his eyebrows. "Mind if I join you?" He asked as Brennan started to protest playfully, he pulled out a chair and disregarded her protest as he sat down beside her.

"What do you want, Sweets?" Booth asked, pretending to be irritated, He sighed.

"I was just checking in on how you and the other agents were working out." He asked.

"They're annoying, they bicker constantly… they can't agree on anything, and I swear, if she doesn't shoot him for his idiotic behavior and arrogant attitude, then I will." He said, watching Sweets smirk. "What? What's the smile for…"

"Nothing, I just think that Agent Culp and Agent Watts display a certain camaraderie together. They work very well together."

"Yes, but they're nothing alike… she is clinical, very level headed…" Booth replied.

"Booth has a crush on her." Brennan said, sipping from her coffee, she watched the grin cross Booth's face and he laughed.

"I do not!"

"You do so… he does." Brennan said to Sweets, who laughed at the two of them as Booth's face turned bright red. "You should see him explain things to her… he's very… hands on."

Sweets laughed and Booth smacked his hand on the table.

"Cut that out, Bones!"

"Look at how red his ears are… it appears that your blood vessels believe it to be true." She said with a playful look on her face as Sweets just laughed again and Booth's ears turned even redder.

"Well, you like Watts…"

"Are you kidding me?" She asked, her face showing absolutely no reaction. "That man is insufferable… he's always straightening his tie, poking at things he shouldn't be poking at…" She said, watching Booth start to laugh. "What?"

"Poking at things…" Booth laughed.

"I didn't mean…" She said, her face now turning red as Booth laughed harder.

"You two are ridiculous…" Sweets said as he started to stand up. "It looks like things are working out for you both."

"Yeah…" Booth said with a laugh as the partners calmed down. "Things are good…they're really good."

"Well, congratulations, man…" Sweets said, shaking his hand, he looked to Brennan, who was glaring toward him.

"I am not a prize to be won, Doctor Sweets."

"Well then, Congratulations to you too, Doctor Brennan…" He said, turning to shake her hand, she grinned. "Agent Booth is in need of taming." He said as Brennan grinned and Booth scoffed. "For the record, Agent Booth…" He said, turning toward him. "I'm much more afraid of Doctor Brennan being angry at me than you… she can make a death look like an accident." He said innocently as he took a step back. "I'm just gonna grab my breakfast… get over to the… office." He said to Booth's glare and Brennan's laugh. "I'll see you two Monday for our bi-weekly meeting… unless something comes up on the case you're working on."

"See you, Sweets." Booth said, as Brennan waved and Sweets left the diner.

"I was thinking." Brennan said as she leaned back in her chair and raised her eyebrows, watching his eyebrows raise as he sipped his coffee, a sarcastic comment held at bay as he waited for her to continue. "Since you were… so accommodating last night." She said, leaning forward, she tipped her head slightly.

"Yes?"

"I will take Agent Culp off your hands for the day… show her around the lab a little… let her work with me on identification… since she seems to be a little more… affable, and…"

"Bosomy…" Booth teased, watching Brennan's jaw drop. "I'm kidding!"

"You are implying that I don't trust you."

"Oh, I know you trust me… you just don't trust her." He replied, smiling as she stared down at her coffee for a second.

"So what do you say?" She asked, ignoring his comment.

"So you'll take Culp, I'll take Watts… and maybe the day will go by faster."

"Booth, I don't think that there will be any time changes, just… oh… you mean the perception of…"

"Yeah, Bones… the perception…" Booth said with a sly grin as he tipped back in his chair with a teasing smile, lifting his hand as a sugar packet flew across toward him with a resounding laugh.


	127. United on All Fronts

Brennan and Booth were just finishing their coffee when they looked out the window to see the two agents walking up toward the diner. Culp looked red in the face and quite angry, and Watts was laughing at whatever she was so upset at. "Just look at the way that they act together. He simply infuriates her."

"Yeah… he really needs to cut it out. One or both of them can get hurt if they keep this up." Booth said as their argument was carried into the diner.

"Or you could get hurt." Brennan tossed in, watching Booth scoff at the implication, she rolled her eyes. "You're not invincible, Booth."

"I never said that I was…" He said, standing up, he walked toward the other agents. "Alright, Watts, you're with me… Culp, Doctor Brennan has graciously offered the opportunity to work under her wing for the afternoon."

"You mean that… we won't be working together today?" Culp asked, her voice showing the disappointment, she looked over toward Brennan as she stood up, grabbing the ticket from the table, she walked toward Booth.

"Nope… you'll be with Bones for the day, in the lab."

"Well, I think that Watts should stay with Doctor Brennan, just because he has such a problem dealing with dead bodies." Culp argued, though Brennan walked up behind them. "I think it would be best if I stayed with you, Agent Booth, and Watts went with Doctor Brennan, he could get used to that kind of thing, that way, and you and I could focus on the case."

"That is not happening." Watts argued, crossing his arms over his chest. "Absolutely no way."

"Here." Brennan said, handing Booth the ticket from the table, he gave her a pleading look.

"Seriously?" He complained, though she could see the humor in his eyes.

"Diner was your idea, partner." Brennan said, flashing him a smile, he couldn't resist it, and it took all he had not to respond the way he wanted to, the way he had been responding to that smile every day for the past two weeks. She brushed her hand with his, and their eyes caught for a second. To anyone else, it was two partners just communicating silently, but between the two of them, there was a very in depth conversation between them. She reached up and touched his cheek, just for the opportunity to touch him. "You eat like a ravenous bear." She said, throwing a bit of a disgusted sound into her voice, he smiled as she turned toward the other agent. "Culp, you're with me… if you're done complaining now, we can get going." She said, turning to exit the diner, she didn't even turn to see if the agent was following, she just continued to walk.

"But… But I…"

"You better get going, Culp. She won't wait." Booth said, watching Brennan turn the corner from the door of the diner and walk briskly down the sidewalk.

"But…" She glanced to Booth, but he was already turned, paying for his and Brennan's breakfast. He smiled to himself when he heard the door of the diner fly open, and the female agent calling after Brennan.

"Haha… that was pretty funny… making her go work with the squints…Now she's going to be surrounded by nerds and beakers all day." Watts laughed.

"Shut up, Watts." Booth said, glaring at the other agent, he started for the door.

"Wait, I was going to get a cup of coffee."

"You should have thought about that before you insulted my partner." He said, walking out of the diner, he didn't say another word as he left the agent scrambling to make a decision.

* * *

Temperance walked briskly toward the lab, only hearing the agent catch up to her by the sound of the woman's clacking high heels into the pavement. "Doctor Brennan, can you please slow down a little?" She said, knowing that the doctor probably wouldn't, but she wanted to ask anyway, just in case she decided to show mercy.

"I don't understand how a woman such as yourself could get through FBI training and Quantico, yet still be out of shape."

"I am in prime shape." Agent Culp exclaimed as she caught up, and immediately fell behind. "My legs just aren't as long as yours."

"Then how do you expect to keep up with your partner, Agent Culp. He his nearly a foot taller than you, are you telling me that when he rushes into a building to get a suspect." Brennan said as she stopped, the agent nearly slamming into the back of her. "That you can't cover him because your legs are too short? Excuses are a sign of weakness… if you can't be there to watch your partner's back, then perhaps you need to find a new profession."

"I'm very good at my profession, Doctor Brennan. I'm a great shot, and I can easily cover my partner."

"But you don't like him very well." Brennan replied, watching the younger woman carefully eye the scientist.

"I don't particularly like the way that my partner… treats me, no… but… I'm thinking of requesting a transfer. We were only placed into the homicide division for the purposes of working with Agent Booth by the advice of our psychologist."

"Doctor Sweets." Brennan nodded.

"Yes. I have very much enjoyed working under Booth." She said, watching the blank expression on Brennan's face, she had no idea the thoughts that were running through her mind. "And… if I were to be transferred to homicide, then I'd be able to work with him… or… I mean, agents like him… and do what I enjoy."

"Agent Culp… if you cannot unite with your partner despite your differences. If you choose to run away from your issues, just because you and your partner are having difficulties, then I suggest that you find another profession. You can either work with everyone, or no one… if you can't work with your partner, you're at risk of injury or death. You must maintain the ultimate trust in that person, because their life is in your hands, and yours in theirs… because I assure you… Agent Watts is extremely tame compared to some of the people you will encounter in this job, and if you can't deal with him… you are in for a rude awakening." Brennan said, turning sharply on her heel, she continued her original pace toward the Jeffersonian, as Culp continued to try to keep up.


	128. We'll Have a Gay Old Time!

Booth climbed into the SUV and started it without even waiting for Watts. He popped the car into drive and the passenger door swung open with Watts trying to climb in with his cup of coffee. "Hey, aren't you going to wait for me?"

"Sorry, Bones is usually in the car before I am." He said, pretending to sound sheepish, he didn't even wait for Watts to close the door before he started to drive.

"Hey man, you should wear a seatbelt." Watts said, becoming the victim of another glare.

"What are you, my wife? Just sit there and be quiet, will you. You know what, better yet, just tell me what happened last night."

"Well, we spooked the guy…"

"I got that much… you two went home last night after we talked, right? You didn't try any funny stuff, or attempt to apprehend him?"

"No."

"Good." Booth said as he drove.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to go pick him up… and you're going to sit and learn…"

"Is this how you talk to Doctor Brennan? Tell her to sit down and shut up?" He asked, watching another glare come from the elder FBI agent.

"Doctor Brennan has a little more couth than you do, Agent Watts. She's a lot cooler under pressure than you are, and she doesn't irritate the crap out of me."

"But you guys argue a lot, right? I've heard rumors that you two have a lot of arguments."

"We bicker… it's our process… its how we work through things."

"And you arrested her father… I've heard that… and her brother."

"You know what, why don't we not talk about Bones, okay? Let's focus on your relationship with your partner, which it seems is the problem. What the hell is wrong with you, man?" Booth asked, watching Watts look toward him.

"What?"

"You treat her like she's an idiot… you don't give her any credit, you're constantly picking on her… in grade school, those are all indications that you have a crush… picking on the girl because you like her… is that what your problem is? Because if it is, maybe you need to get some." Booth said bluntly.

"You want me to have sex with my partner?" He asked incredulously, watching Booth sputter for a second.

"No man, get a goddamned girlfriend so that you can learn what it's like to relate to other people… make some friends… so that you can be a human being instead of the asshole that you've been to everyone." Booth said straight forwardly to the agent. "Are you still a virgin or something, because you act like you've never even been with a woman."

"Shut the hell up." Watts snapped at Booth, noticing the glare that the other Agent was giving him from across the car. "Just shut up." He mumbled, not noticing the slight cocky grin that was arising on the other agent's lips. Finally, he was making some progress.

* * *

Brennan walked directly into the lab without even pausing by the platform, she headed straight for her office. She passed Angela's office and smiled at her friend as she looked up. "Hey, Sweetie." Angela said, getting up from where she was sitting, she came toward the doorway and Angela noticed the frazzled agent following after her. "You have a little puppy…"

Brennan turned and gave Angela a confused glance. She turned and saw Culp following her and nodded. "Oh… yes… Agent Culp will be observing today." She said, turning toward her office.

"Bren?" Angela said as she got up and followed after her and the agent, walking into the office just as Brennan sat down at her desk and started up her computer.

"Yes, Angela?"

"Was there anything you needed me to… do, or… whatever?" She asked, shrugging.

"Huh?" Brennan said, confused by her friend's question.

"Do you want me to show Agent Culp around?" Figuring that the more direct approach would work better.

"Um… not right now, maybe in a little while…" Brennan nodded as Angela nodded in reply. "Ange?" She said, looking up at her friend for a moment, Angela could tell that she was going somewhere with that look, and she shook her head. "Nevermind."

"Are you sure, sweetie?"

"Can you call Brandon and get that recipe for the quiche he made for Booth's birthday party?" She asked, looking up earnestly to see Angela's blank look.

"Brandon…" She said, pausing, knowing for sure that her friend was speaking some kind of code, but not catching on at all.

That was when Brennan looked right at Culp and with a completely serious face said. "Brandon is Booth's partner. He makes a delicious quiche." With that being said, Angela turned and walked out of the office, barely making out of the door before she doubled over in laughter.

"Booth is…?"

"Yes… and he prefers not to discuss it, have it mentioned… or even say the word in front of him, he's a very private person. He and his partner have been happily together for five years, and nothing will come between them." She said sternly. "He's never been happier."

Culp sat, her mouth dry as she tried to figure out when she had fallen into an alternate universe, while Brennan picked up her phone.

_You're gay._

**Excuse me?**

_I had to tell Culp that you were gay, get her to back off._

**You did not.**

_His name is Brandon, you've been together for five years, and you're very happy together._

**You are dead meat, Temperance.**

_I don't know what that means._

She closed her phone and stood up, cleared her throat. "Now if you'll follow me… we'll get to work on the remains." She said in a faux happy tone, she pocketed her phone and walked out of her office, waiting patiently for the shocked and confused Agent to follow her.


	129. Transvestite Bones

Brennan and Culp walked up onto the platform and worked quietly together, the phone buzzed in her pocket after about two hours and she glanced to the agent before opening it, noting that she was looking through the folder with some of the findings.

**Nabbed the suspect, on our way to the Hoover.**

She felt a twinge of guilt as she examined one of the ribs, and she hadn't missed the head shakes and smirks from Angela as Brennan and Culp worked in silence together. She hadn't heard anything else from Booth, other than this particular message and had been getting slightly nervous that he was much too angry at her to talk with her. He hadn't even called her to confront her about the situation. So she decided to stay quiet about it, her eyes on her bones and Culp kept her eyes on the file.

She was surprised, of course, when her phone buzzed again.

**When will you be here?**

She furrowed her brow and glanced over at Culp, who was now looking up at her. "Booth wants us over at the Hoover. They got your suspect." She said, noting Culp's silent nod. Brennan then turned toward her office. "Let me grab my bag, put my lab coat in my office, and we can get going." She said, typing that they were on their way as she went, disappearing into her office.

* * *

Booth helped bring the suspect into the interrogation room, and walked out with Watts. Watts was leaning against the wall, staring into the room as Booth paced back and forth.

"What are we waiting for?"

"Bones and Culp."

"You asked for them to come here? Why can't we just do this together?"

"Because you're not my partner." Booth said, glancing toward the door as it opened. "And I only do that with my partner." He said, noticing the surprised look on Culp's face as Booth and Brennan finally made eye contact. "Bones is my partner." He said again, watching the woman relax, he glared at her and noted the look of surprise in her face that he was exclaiming such a thing.

"Yes…" She said, confused at Booth's outburst.

"We're doing the interrogation." He said, turning, he grabbed Brennan's arm and pulled her out into the hallway, her struggling a bit as they left Culp and Watts, confused in the observation room. As soon as they were in the hallway, Brennan pulled away from him, the anger in her eyes apparent as she glared at him.

"Don't pull at me!" She exclaimed, not caring about the one or two people that turned their head at her obvious outburst.

"Don't pull at you? Don't pull at you? What the hell is going on, Bones?"

"What do you mean?"

"You don't just go around telling people that you think are hitting on me, that I'm homosexual."

"Are you?" She asked, watching the glare that she became the center of as he shook his head.

"No! You know very well that I'm not! Why am I even answering that question?"

"Because you're embarrassed." She responded cooly.

"How would you like it that I told everyone that you were a transvestite?"

"I don't think that anyone would believe you." She said, giving him a confused, and irritated glare.

"Come on, Bones… you're tall… you have those high cheekbones… all I'd have to say is… you should see the size of her adams apple, and people would totally believe it." He whispered fiercely, watching heat rise into her cheeks, she suddenly felt very self conscious, and he could tell that he had done that to her. He felt guilt rise up into his chest, and he knew that he was going to get it, he needed to diffuse it, and diffuse it fast. "Bones, I'm…"

"Stop." She said, putting her hand on his chest, she shook her head. "Just… stop, right there… okay? I'm sorry… I made a mistake, okay? Perhaps I'm a little insecure, a little jealous and a lot in love with you, but that does not mean that you can just be mean to me because we are in a relationship."

"And you can't just go around making things up about me, Bones. This is my career, I work with these people, they respect me."

"And they can't respect a homosexual?"

"I'm not a homosexual!" He exclaimed in a whisper as everyone now was glancing at the argument.

"Well, I can see that I've made you upset."

"Yeah, you've made me upset." Booth said, his voice coming off sounding extremely sarcastic. "You pissed me off, Bones."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to fix it, Bones."

"Would you like me to go in and tell Agent Culp that you're not…"

"No." He said as he shook his head. "No. I'll take care of it. Just… just go back to the lab, and if this guy has something, I'll let you know, okay? You can leave Culp here, I don't need you corrupting her anymore. Who knows, you may end up telling her that I am moving off to some exotic island with my boyfriend because the winters are too damn cold here in D.C." He sighed, shaking his head. "I'm just… I'm just upset."

"You told me to come here for the interrogation, I thought that you…"

"I needed to talk to you, Bones… if I told you that I needed to talk to you, you would have avoided me."

"So you're saying you lied?"

"Yeah, but only…"

And with that, Brennan turned her heel.

"Bones…" Booth said, but her only response was the stern slamming of her heels into the ground as she made her way down the hallway toward the elevators.


	130. Setting the Record Straight

Booth went through his day with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. He was irritated with Bones and her classic angry departure, he was angry at Culp and Watts for their constant arguing. He was angry at the suspect for being a suspect, and he was angry at Sweets for getting him involved in this 'partner mediation' situation in the first place.

Lunch time had rolled around and Brennan hadn't returned any of his phone calls or any of his texts, and when he called the lab, they stated that she was in her office and had asked to not be disturbed. He worked through his day, getting through paperwork, and though the suspect angle had been a dead end, they had another person of interest that they were going to be looking into in the next day or so, and the longer he sat at his desk working on paperwork, the more guilty he felt for snapping at her like that.

He recalled his conversation with Culp, trying to set the record straight had been fairly easy, though the question on 'why' Brennan would lie about his sexuality was something that hung in the air like a swarm of flies over a warm cow pie. He just rolled his eyes and went on a tangent about how Brennan gets weird when she feels that her partnership is threatened, and Culp, though nodding, tried her hardest to believe him, while Watts just chuckled to himself about the whole situation until Booth gave him such a glare that if it were possible to turn to stone from a look, he would have.

Booth clicked through a few web pages he still had open on his computer, one being the weather, and he looked outside to see that the sky as once again becoming cloudy, and there were flashes of lightning in the distance. The forecast was calling for some strong storms to be moving through that night, and he felt a bit of a twinge in his stomach when he remembered the frightened look in her eyes the night before, the way she clung to him. He lifted his phone and sent another message, just to let her know he was thinking of her, hoping she'd respond in some way, but not getting his hopes up. He knew exactly how stubborn she was, and he wouldn't expect any less from her.

* * *

Brennan sat in the bone room working quietly on some older remains. She had given instructions to the interns that the current case was in a holding pattern, and literally locked herself in bone storage for the rest of the day. She heard her phone buzz from across the room and rolled her eyes. She stood up slowly and approached the phone, she looked at the words on the screen and sighed.

**Looks like a storm is moving in, please call me.**

She stared at the words on the phone and sighed. Part of her was touched by his thoughtfulness, memories of the previous night had made her feel comforted, and reminded her of how she hadn't gotten much sleep, but she felt warm inside. Though another part of her was just a little irritated that he would bring up one of her weaknesses, just to see if she'd break, just to see if she would fall for it and give in, and call him. She wanted to call him, if just to tell him that she was fine and that she could take care of herself, but she just set the phone back down on the table and sighed, walking back over toward the table where the bones lay. She grabbed her clipboard and returned to work.

* * *

The hours waned on, and the storm raged outside, the wind and rain that slammed against the car made Booth a little nervous as he drove home. There were periods of limited visibility, and his thoughts were only on Brennan. He pulled up to his apartment and noted that her car wasn't there, and sighed as he tipped his head back, glancing at the clock. It was nearly ten in the evening and she wasn't at either of their apartments. He pulled the car into drive and made his way toward the lab, internally smacking himself that he didn't just assume she'd be there in the first place.

He parked the car in the structure beside hers, noting that it was dry and it most likely hadn't left the building since that morning. He made his way to the elevator, used his security clearance and keys to get to the level of the lab, and stepped out into the hallway. He walked toward the lab, looking for any sign of life besides the security guards that were always on this floor, and he ran his card through the door to the lab, something that he knew he had to do after hours, and he walked across the pristine floors toward the only light in the area, her office.

He reached for the door handle and turned it, slowly allowing the door to open without actually stepping inside, he waited for a moment, to see if she'd respond. When she didn't, his brow furrowed and he turned the corner quickly to find his partner and the love of his life sitting at her desk, her face planted firmly on the keyboard as she sleep soundly. He let out a light laugh as he heard the thunder outside, and moved closer to her desk without making so much as a tiny noise. He wondered for a moment if she was any good at pretending that she was asleep and decided that she would have said something long before now.

He crouched by her side, watching her sleep for a moment, he noticed that her nose was wiggling as the fan from above blew a couple of strands of hair in her face, and he smiled at the innocence of the moment. He didn't know whether to wake her up slowly, or to jump right in, because either one could have a different reaction, and he didn't know which was which. So he decided on a simple kiss.

He leaned up slowly, dropping a gentle kiss on her cheek, her face scrunched into a scowl as she moved her face against the keyboard. He could see her eyes moving beneath her eyelids, and he knew she was awake, he knew she was just trying to figure out how she was going to get out of this situation with minimal embarrassment, for she was sure that there was a very obvious indentation of the keyboard on her face, and his teasing would not be something that she wanted to deal with.

"I have a pillow at home with your name on it." Booth said, saying the phrase without thinking.

Her eyes popped open, and her brow furrowed. "Don't you think that's a bit stalkerish?" She whispered, watching the concerned look on his face turn into a full blown smile.

"Are you hungry?" He whispered, moving the strands of hair from her face as she watched him sleepily.

"Are you always thinking of food?"

"No." He replied, leaning down to kiss her cheek softly. "I'm always thinking of you… food comes second… which is why I found you first."

"Very logical." She mumbled lifting her head from the keyboard, she gave him her hand.

"I learned from the best." He said, giving her a helpful tug as he helped her to her feet, and pulled her in for a hug.


	131. The Break Up

They walked into the diner quietly, his hand on her lower back as they walked toward their usual table. Booth stopped at the counter and made a quick order and the waitress nodded her head as he gave her a polite smile and thanked her, following Brennan back to the table. He sat down, and she sat across from him, her stance was quite defensive, her arms were across her belly as she sat down across from him, her eyes unreadable.

"Are you still mad at me?" She asked.

"No." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Should I still be mad at you?" He asked, giving her a scrutinizing look that made her eyebrow rise.

"Why? What have you heard?" She asked, giving him a mirrored look of the one he was giving her.

"Very funny."

"What's very funny?" She asked. "I think you're misinterpreting me."

"I think you're messing with me."

"I don't know how to do that." She said, her eyes flashing to the window, and then back to him, she watched for a good six to seven seconds before she couldn't hold in the slight smile. "I'm sorry."

"You said that earlier."

"And you said it wasn't enough."

"It wasn't enough." He shrugged. "At the time."

"So… now it's enough?"

"Nope."

"So you're still mad at me."

"No."

"You're messing with me?"

"No." He smiled, watching her brow furrow, he was enjoying this far too much.

"So you told her the truth?" Brennan swallowed hard as she watched him carefully.

"Nah…" He shrugged. "I seriously thought about it."

"I don't understand." She said, watching him lean forward just a little he rolled his eyes up.

"Maybe I do like guys…"

"Booth." She said, her voice serious as he gave her an honest expression.

"So I'm going to break up with you, and Watts and I are going to start seeing one another."

"Booth!" She exclaimed.

"What? I'm sorry I had to tell you like this." He said as he shrugged, watching her cheeks start to turn red, he was finding it very, very difficult not to start laughing. "I just… you know, you got me thinking… and his blue eyes…" Booth said, rolling his eyes up.

"Oh." Brennan said suddenly, not giving away that she was calling his bluff, she took a slow, deep breath. "I'm sorry that you feel that way." She said, looking quite upset all of a sudden, he was sitting there wondering why she didn't call him on his obvious state of humor, and the fact that he was about to burst from laughter. "Well then." She said as she stood up, looking down at him with a stern expression, she took a deep breath. "I hope you two are very happy together." She said as she just turned and started to walk away from him.

"Bones!" He exclaimed as she continued to walk, her back to him as she reached for the door handle, her head dropping as he watched her shoulders start to shake. He jumped from his chair thinking she was crying, and when he touched her shoulder and turned her around, there were tears rolling down her cheeks, but not from crying. She was laughing so hard, she couldn't hold it in any more, and the moment he saw the look on her face, his jaw dropped. "Bones!"

"He's not even your type!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck she laughed into his shoulder so hard that he couldn't help but laughing himself.

"God, Bones…" He laughed as he felt her squeezing him as she laughed, he could tell she was trying to catch her breath. "I love you so much…" He laughed.

"I love you…" She whispered as she continued to catch her breath. "I love you…" She said, wiping her tears onto his shoulder, as the two of them walked back to the table together, full of giggles and hugs.


	132. Knickers Aflame

When they had calmed down and their food was delivered, Booth and Brennan sat quietly across from one another at the table, silently eating their dinner. She was staring at her salad, poking at the lettuce as she noticed that he was watching her. She smiled and shook her head. "What?" He asked curiously, biting into one of his French fries, he watched her look up at him.

"Nothing." She said, shaking her head with a half smile. "What is wrong with me?" She asked, looked up at him and noticed the humored and confused look on his face.

"What do you mean?" He asked, watching her hand move toward his plate, she grabbed a french fry as if she thought he was going to take it away from her.

"I don't know, our argument… and that little…. Thing we did, I don't think I've ever laughed so much after an argument before."

"That's why we're perfect for one another, Bones. We understand that each of us have quirks. You're a bit… socially awkward at times…" He said, trying not to offend.

"And you can be a real ass when you're mad." She said, shoving another French fry in her mouth, she watched his eyebrows rise. "What?" She asked, a smile on her face, though she was serious. "Look at the facts, Booth. Each and every time you get upset, you yell at me, you yell at Culp and Watts… you're kind of mean."

"I am not mean!"

"Mmm…" She said, giving him a look that showed that she clearly disagreed.

"I am not mean, I take exception to that!"

"It's fine, Booth… I'm used to your reactions. I just don't like being lied to."

"But you lied to Culp."

"Yes." She said, leaning forward, she shrugged. "The point is, I didn't lie to you. You called me over to the Hoover with the intention of being an ass to me."

"It wasn't a lie. I didn't tell you that I wanted you to interrogate, I just asked when you were going to be over, and then told you to leave."

"Lie by omission…" She challenged, watching him glare at her across the table. "What?"

"Nothing."

"You're pouting like Parker does when you tell him that he can't have an ice cream sundae for dessert. It's no wonder that boy has the best pout of anyone that I've ever seen, he has learned from the very best." She said, as his pout turned into a glare. "Ah… there's step two… the irritated glare… when the pout becomes far too much, and the answer is still 'no'… ah… ah…" She said, a grin on her face. "I see... step three… it's right there…"

"What?"

"I see it…" She said, moving back to her salad, she looks down at the plate and ignores him for a moment as he huffed at her for a moment, she continued to eat without looking at him.

"Now who is mean?" He said with a sigh as she looked up at him and smirked, shaking her head. "What?"

"Just eat your dinner…" She said, reaching out for a French fry.

"Just tell me… tell me what step three is."

"No."

"Come on, please?" He begged, watching her look up at him, she placed her fork down in her plate as she leaned forward just a bit.

"While I'm not going to tell you… the third step… I'll tell you what you can have tonight." She said, her voice lowering to that sultry, sexy voice that always got his blood flowing, she watched his eyes lighten just a bit.

"And what would that be?" He asked, tipping his head, he leaned in for the kiss that he knew was coming.

"You… can have…" She groaned a little as she looked down at his lips and back to his eyes. "An ice cream sundae." She said in the sexiest voice he had ever heard, she dropped a kiss on his lips and sat back in her chair, watching as he let out a frustrated sigh and sat back in his chair, the smile on his face and the tender laugh that he gave her made her smile across the table at him as they both finished their dinner.


	133. Coming Out

It was now Friday afternoon and Brennan was glad to get out of work at a normal time for once. She walked over toward the diner and found Booth sitting at their table, looking worn and exhausted, Parker beside him looking kind of down as Watts and Culp sat across from him looking like everything was just fine with them, joking around. As soon as Booth and Parker saw Brennan, both sets of brown eyes lit up, and Parker slammed his chair into his father's knee as he jumped from the table. Booth yelped in pain, Parker ran toward 'Bones', and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I think you hurt your dad." Brennan said as she hugged Parker, and dropped a kiss in his unruly blonde hair.

"What?" Parker asked, looking toward Booth who was holding his knee. "Uh oh…"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him." She said as she approached the table with Parker behind her.

"Geez, Parker… you have to watch what you're doing." Booth said, pushing the chair out for Brennan, she sat down, and Parker pulled a chair from another table over to sit on the end.

"He was just excited to see me." Brennan rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a baby, seriously." She said, rubbing his knee softly, he pulled away and watched the sly smile on her lips.

"Bones, you know Dad's other partners, right, of course, huh? I just met them…" Parker said as he smiled, glancing toward the two agents.

Culp and Watts were watching the entire exchange and Brennan reached over and grabbed the milkshake cup from the table and looked inside. "Is this yours?" She asked Parker, who nodded. She glanced to Booth. "You realize his milkshake is almost gone, right?"

"Yeah… we were waiting for you… what took you so long?" Booth asked, his arm resting on the back of the chair, it had gotten to the point where he was beginning to not care if the other two agents knew they were together, they just wanted to be themselves.

"I had to put my bones away." Deciding on the easiest excuse possible.

"Bones works with bones." Parker exclaimed to the other agents, who seemed a bit overwhelmed by Parker's exuberance, and perhaps a bit condescending in their replies.

"Parker was just telling us about his day at school." Culp said in a coddling voice that Brennan swore almost made her teeth hurt. "Weren't you, Parker?"

"Um… yeah." Parker said as he turned to Brennan. "Today was the last day of school, so we didn't do much… it was pretty stupid."

"Parker." Booth said.

"Sorry, Dad… It was pretty dumb."

"How about you don't use any negative words?" Booth said, raising his eyebrows as Parker grabbed his milkshake and leaned back hard in his chair in a pout.

"He was just telling you that the last day of school sucked, Booth." Brennan said, glancing to Parker, she winked and he tried not to laugh as Booth let his jaw drop. "That's an adult word…"

"Okay." Parker nodded as Watts and Culp kind of watched Brennan with a surprised look. "It's important for him to express himself, Booth."

"Have you been drinking?" Booth asked her, a smile rising on his face as she let out a laugh.

"No, I'm just… glad it's the weekend. I'm glad that I'm spending the weekend with my two favorite guys, and I'm glad that I'm here eating dinner… and…"

"Bones?" Parker whispered as she raised her eyebrows at Parker.

"What?" She said, leaning over to him, the boy put his hand to her ear.

"Dad said that we're not supposed to tell them that you and dad are boyfriend and girlfriend." He whispered, his voice obviously loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

She leaned over and put her hand near his ear, whispering just as loudly. "I think they were going to figure it out when I kiss him in a second." She said, laughing at the little boy's giggle as he made a gagging face.

"Bones… that's gross."

"Yeah…" She shrugged. "Maybe I'll just hold his hand." She whispered, as Parker nodded.

"Bones?" Booth whispered, reaching for her shoulder, she moved her hand to his and gripped it, looking across at the two agents.

"It's okay." Brennan shrugged. "So, what have you guys been working on all day?" She asked, the smile on her face was genuine, and she could see that the two partners were quite stunned.

"Uh… well…" Booth said, not sure about his partner's sudden decision to 'out' them in front of the other two agents, he decided to tread very lightly. "Not much… we were waiting on surveillance of this other suspect, and there was a warehouse that Hodgins suspected was involved based on the chemicals on the victim's shirt, and…" He said as the waitress came to the table to take their order.

Parker immediately exclaimed his own order, and glanced to Brennan who nodded, where he grinned and made her order as well, just as he had the week before. His chest puffed with pride when he grinned at the scientist, and she looked up at the waitress just as he finished. "And we'll split a chocolate milkshake, since he already had one…and I'll never finish one myself." She shrugged, she could see that Booth was going to interject and she looked to him. "What? I ruined his weekend with you last week, he won't get sick… just let the kid have some fun."

"Fine." Booth rolled his eyes. "Let them have their milkshake." He said, then making his order, the other two agents ordered their food, and the waitress disappeared, and Booth put his arm a little tighter around the back of her chair, feeling her lean into him, it felt good, as he watched the two agents talk about their day, their eyes on the two of them as they say nothing but talk about the case.

When their meals arrive, Booth snuck in a quick kiss to her temple as she settled in her chair, and Parker piped in about an exciting thing or two that happened during the day, the spirits of all three of them rising with each passing moment together. "You see that, Parker?" She said with a smile and a quick snatch of one of his French fries. "The day wasn't so bad after all, was it?" She asked, shoving the fry in her mouth as she laughed.

"No, I guess not." He laughed, noticing that his father had snatched up her other hand, and was smiling right along with him.


	134. Banter, Fluff, and Filler

Booth sat back in his chair as he watched the other two agents leave the diner after their meals, the shock on their faces was priceless when they found out that the two partners were dating, and because of that there was no flirting, no negative quips, nothing but a long winded conversation from the young boy who had captured the attention of a certain forensic anthropologist as their dessert was delivered.

"And then Billy grabbed the frog by the leg, and the teacher shouted so loud, that it scared him, and he fell forward into the water!" Parker exclaimed with a big laugh, watching Brennan laugh as well as Booth watched the genuine smile on her face as Parker continued to laugh.

"You have no idea what he just said, do you?" Booth muttered as Parker continued, and Brennan glared at him as she remained interested in what Parker was saying, his arms animated as he finished, with both of them laughing again. "Okay, your sundae is here…" Booth said, pushing it in front of him. "Better eat it before it melts all over."

"Oh! Right…" Parker said with a laugh, he smiled across at Brennan and took a big scoop of ice cream and shoved it into his mouth.

"Parker, don't eat like that…" Booth said, watching the ice cream roll from the corners of his mouth.

"Like what?" He asked, mouth full and all and Booth shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, please… how old are you?" Booth asked, tossing him a napkin as he shook his head and poked at his plate of pie as Brennan watched the two of them interact, a playful smile on her lips. "What are you smiling at?" He asked, his voice sounding a little suspicious as she shrugged.

"I was just thinking about the mountain." She said, a confused look on his face as he tipped his head and chuckled a bit. "What?"

"It's just random."

"Not really." She shrugged. "I was thinking of it in relation to Parker, how you wanted to take Parker there some day."

"Take me where?" Parker asked, making sure that his mouth wasn't full when he spoke. "Take me where, Dad."

"Oh someplace… don't worry about it, just eat your ice cream." He said, still smiling across at her, he shook his head. "I didn't say just Parker. I said you and Parker… both of you."

"Where, dad? You're making me impatient." He huffed as Booth laughed.

"I said don't worry about it… eat your sundae so we can get Bones home." He said, watching Parker's appalled face. "What?"

"Bringing Bones home? Why? I thought she was going to stay and watch movies and stuff with us tonight!" He said, sounding obviously upset and very put off by the entire situation.

"Well, you're staying tonight and tomorrow night, so Bones will see us tomorrow afternoon for your game."

"Aww…" Parker sighed.

"And then maybe I'll be able to stay tomorrow night." She shrugged.

"Really? That would be so cool! Dad, can Jake stay over tomorrow night too? That way I can have a friend over, and you can have a friend over, and we'll have a slumber party!" He exclaimed happily as Booth gave his son a look as if he were thinking.

"I… don't know…"

"I'll help with dishes for breakfast, and I'll be sure to brush my teeth and take my shower without complaining! I promise!"

"I'm not sure…" Booth said, when there was a kick from under the table, light and playful, he jumped. "Ow, Bones?"

"What? I think that was your decision kicking you." She said, watching Parker grin over at her, and then back to his father.

"I don't know what I think about you two bonding like this… I feel like you're always against me."

"What are you talking about, Dad? Me and Bones love you!" He said as he grinned over at her and then back to his father again.

"Well, I know that you do." Booth teased as he shrugged. "Not so sure about that one over there… the one with the sharp toes."

"Hey, your leg got in the way of the direction of my foot. I cannot be held responsible for my involuntary reactions." She shrugged.

"Look at you, over there… flirting shamelessly with my son… you are just…" He shook his head and laughed when her jaw dropped and she shook her head and laughed. "You're too much."

"You're overdramatic." She replied.

"You talk too much." He said, leaning forward, she glared at him playfully.

"Well, you're procrastinating."

"Maybe I don't want to bring you home!"

"Well, maybe I don't want to go home." She replied.

"Well fine then, I won't take you home."

"Fine then."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine… what were we talking about?"

"I don't know…"

"You ready to go?" He said, looking at a very perplexed looking boy beside him as he finished his ice cream sundae. "We need to get Bones home."

"I am so very confused…" Parker giggled as he stood up, and grabbed the ticket from the table, looking up at Booth as he licked the remainder of the chocolate from his spoon.

"It's a woman thing, man… we'll never understand." He said as he stood up and winked at Brennan, who shook her head and laughed as she followed the two boys to the register.


	135. No Bones About It

Booth exited the car to walk Brennan to the door. Parker watched from his car seat, and smiled as he watched his father put his hand on her arm, the smile on his face was in his eyes as well, and it was something Parker rarely saw unless he was talking to him. He watched his father lean down for a kiss, and Bones let him for a moment, but pushed at his chest slightly as she gave him a sly smile and nodded toward the car, and his father laughed.

Booth laughed and watched her give him a disapproving look. "What is so funny?"

"You… being concerned about Parker. Parker is fine, he has seen me kiss women before, Bones. I don't think he's going to be traumatized that I have a love life."

"Well, it's new and different for him… I mean, how old was he the last time he saw you kiss a woman? He may not have understood the implications." She shrugged.

"It was just last week." He said with a cocky grin, watching her eyes widen as she smacked him on the arm, and he laughed, getting a defensive look on his face. "It was you! It was you! I'm talking about you!" He laughed as he grabbed her around the waist and buried his nose in her neck, she wrapped her arms around him. "Just you." He said against her skin.

"Booth?" She whispered, holding him tightly as she suddenly felt sad. "I think I am relying on your companionship far too much."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because my arms won't let go of you." She said, squeezing him tighter.

"Your arms won't let go of me?"

"I'm sorry, but no… it appears I am suffering from muscle rigidness and I don't believe its going to just go away with a simple request."

"What if I promise you something?"

"Like what?" She asked, lifting her head to look into his eyes, she could see the kindness in them. "What could you possibly promise me that I would find more appealing than having my arms around you right now?"

"I promise that I'll call you tonight."

"A phone call?"

"Bones, I have to get back to the car." He laughed. "Parker is going to drive off without me."

"Parker isn't going to drive off without you… he's been watching us this entire time." She said, raising her hand from around him to wave at the car, he saw a hand wave back. "See, he's not even in the front seat."

"Bones!" Booth said with a whine as he felt her grip loosen.

"Fine." She said, slowly releasing him, she adjusted her bag on her shoulder. "I will accept a phone call." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You will accept a phone call…?" He chuckled.

"Yes… and I'll try to keep the many men who knock at my door tonight at bay." She said, taking a step backwards toward the door.

"You had better."

"I'll just tell them that my boyfriend carries a gun."

"And that he is a former sniper…"

"Right… and that he never misses." She said suggestively as she opened the door and entered the building, a very happy smile on her face.

Booth watched her disappear into the building and rolled his eyes with a laugh as he turned toward the car, seeing that Parker had moved up to the front passenger seat, he shook his head and pointed toward the back seat, the window opened and Parker leaned out a little. "Come on, Dad… can't I sit in the front?"

"No. Like Bones said… you're short, you're too young, you don't weigh enough…"

"I think she used bigger words… and something about decapitation…"

"Yeah, well… she only said that to keep your interest… get in the back seat." Booth said as Parker huffed and closed the window, climbing into the back seat, he put his seatbelt on, and Booth got into the driver's seat. He positioned himself in the seat and started to drive away.

"Dad?" Parker said from his seat, watching Booth's eyes meet his in the rearview mirror. "You said Bones was coming to my game tomorrow, right?"

"Right."

"And she promises, right? She'll be there?"

"Bones always keeps her promises, bud."

"Good." He smiled. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't think the other moms are going to be happy if Bones is there…"

"Why is that?"

"Because they always talk about you… that's what Jim Dalton said… that time he had to sit out the game cuz his sister knocked him off his bike and he hurt his leg… he sat with the moms, and they talked about you. They think you're hot or something…"

"They did not…"

"Uh huh… It's okay though… I'm not worried."

"Why not?"

"Cuz Bones can kick all of their butts… with her hands tied behind her back!" Parker laughed, watching Booth laugh and shake his head as they headed toward his apartment together.


	136. Goodnight

Brennan sat on her couch comfortably, her laptop in her lap as she worked on her book, her mind not completely on the task at hand, but slightly distracted by the impending phone call that she was expecting. She glanced again at her cell phone and internally chastised herself for being so eager, so that when it did ring, she held it in her hand and smiled at the number on the screen, letting it ring at least twice before picking up.

"Hey." She said, casually and calmly, she smiled.

"You let it ring twice before picking it up, didn't you?" He teased, listening to the slightly embarrassed silence on the other end of the line. "Hey, it's okay… I was holding the phone for the hour it took for Parker to fall asleep." He said playfully.

"You tease me too much." She said with a pout, that he could practically see from where he was sitting.

"I tease you because I miss you."

"You tease me when we're together."

"I tease you because I love you."

"You're illogical."

"You're trying to get me to argue with you, and I'm not falling for it." He said, a soft chuckle in his voice. "Tell me something."

"Hm?"

"Why did you tell them about us?"

"Culp and Watts?" She asked innocently. "I don't know… they were going to find out anyway, but mostly because I felt bad about what I did to you yesterday. Also, I just wanted to hold your hand, and I didn't want to have an excuse."

"You didn't think Parker could hold it in, did you?"

"Not for one second." She replied, laughing, he laughed as well and they slipped into a comfortable silence.

"What have you been up to?" He whispered.

"Just writing."

"What are my favorite fictional twosome up to?"

"I was mostly doing research."

"You say that every time I ask you about the book."

"You're trying to get something out of me, and I'm not going to tell you… you have to buy the book." She teased.

"Buy the book? You're not going to let me just have a copy?"

"You know, Booth… if I let everyone that I know just have a copy, I wouldn't make any profit."

"You can't give the guy that sleeps next to you a copy of your book?"

"You're not sleeping next to me." She quipped. "I don't see you… besides, if you're sleeping, how would you read it?"

"Oh… there you go… that little defense mechanism… going all literal on me again." He joked. "I love you."

"Mm…" She said into the line, once again teasing him, she heard the light chuckle on his end of the line.

"Would you like to meet us for breakfast?"

"Where?"

"There's a place down the street that makes the most delicious pancakes." He said in a soft voice. "And the woman who makes them… god, she is so hot." He said in a soft, sultry tone.

"Oh really… this place, it's down the street?"

"No, not… not literally down the street, its nearby… to you… right now…" He said, suggestively.

"Are you suggesting that I make pancakes for you and your son on my day off?"

"Think of it as… pregame brain food…"

"Brain food…" She said, a giggle on the tip of her tongue.

"Yeah, yeah… brain food, gets the brain thinking…"

"I'm not sure that there are any foods that the brain… prefers." She said, laughing. "You want pancakes?"

"Yes! The ones with the apples in the middle… and the cinnamon…" He said, trying to sound innocent.

"Now you want me to make you special pancakes?"

"No… I want you to make Parker special pancakes and then he'll share them with me." He said, the little boy tone in his voice was too much for her to resist, but she didn't want him to know, so she pretended to think about it.

"Hm…" She sighed.

"Bones?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you."

"I love your pancakes."

"Good…"

"They're warm… fluffy… so full of goodness." He said with a smile. "Just like you."

"I'm warm and fluffy?"

"Mmm… and full of goodness." He whispered.

"Where are you?" She asked, her voice humored and a bit suspicious sounding. "Parker isn't right there, is he?"

"What do you think, Bones? I'm in my bedroom."

"Are you…?"

"Bones!" He exclaimed, letting out a laugh as he thought of what she might be insinuating. "You're saucy."

"I don't know what that means." She said, rolling her eyes and tipping her head back.

"What are you wearing?" He whispered.

"Your grey t-shirt."

"And?"

"And I think it's time for you to go to bed before we both get ourselves in trouble."

"Bones… are you suggesting that I might have less than honorable intentions?"

"I think that I would question your identity and health if you had any other intention than what it so blatantly sounds like. Goodnight, Booth."

"I miss you."

"I miss you too. What time will you boys be over?"

"The game is at one… we'll be at your place at nine."

"I'll be waiting for you."

"Goodnight, Bones." He said, pausing for another moment, until finally he hung up first.


	137. What's in a Name?

Someone knocked at the door at exactly five after nine in the morning, and Brennan couldn't help but smile when she pulled the pan from the burner before making her way toward the door. She had been up since six that morning preparing the ingredients for breakfast, reading through the recipe to ensure that it was exactly as she had made it the last time for Booth, so their arrival on time made her just a little bit happier.

She opened the door and was nearly tackled by Parker, who hugged her tightly and told her he missed her.

"That's ridiculous." She teased. "I just saw you several hours ago, it's impossible for you to have missed me this much after this long." She said as he squeezed her tightly.

"I don't know how it happened, but it did." He shrugged, releasing her from the hug he looked to his dad. "Just ask dad, I bet he missed you real bad too."

"I missed you real bad." Booth said, watching Parker grimace and avert his gaze as Booth leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "Real bad." He whispered in her ear.

She shook her head disapprovingly as he chuckled at the expression on her face. "Your pancakes are in the kitchen." She said, watching his eyes light up like a little boy, and Parker was already on his way to the kitchen table.

"You're the best." He said, leaning in to kiss her lips softly as he pulled her body close to him. "I really did miss you."

"I got that." She said, tilting her head playfully.

"No… I mean… really, really…" He said, watching her blush as he let out a laugh. "You are so easy to make blush."

"Mm… and you keep yourself unguarded the majority of the time around me… that might change." She said, watching his jaw drop as she kissed his cheek. "Kidding." She replied as she moved to serve breakfast. "Or am I?"

* * *

Brennan served the pancakes and got the boys each a glass of orange juice as she sat down and ate with them, listening to their moans of approval over the pancakes.

"Best pancakes in the world, Bones!" Parker exclaimed, noting the glance from his father. "I mean Doctor Brennan."

Brennan looked up at the little boy, her eyebrows scrunched as she glanced to his father. "Doctor Brennan? Why the formality? And I'm sure that these aren't the best pancakes in the world, Parker. There are many master chefs that could create them…"

"Best pancakes I ever ate!" Parker exclaimed with a laugh. "And Dad said I should call you Doctor Brennan because it's more polite."

"Booth?" Brennan questioned as Booth nodded, ready to defend his action.

"If he calls you Bones, you're going to have a team of eight and nine year olds calling you Bones… is that what you want?"

"I don't…"

"Think about it, Bones." He said, raising his eyebrows.

"Perhaps you are correct." She nodded, giving Booth a scrutinizing look. "You can always call me by my first name Parker, that would be fine." She said, watching Parker nod his head and smile as he ate his pancakes, glancing to Booth with an almost panicked look. Booth let out a laugh and Brennan looked toward him. "What?"

"He doesn't know what your first name is." Booth laughed.

"Oh!" She laughed. "My first name is Temperance… you may call me that, that would be fine." She shrugged.

"Temperance?" Parker asked, making a face, which got him a disapproving glance from his father.

"Yes." She said, watching the boy carefully as he worked it through his mind.

"I like it." He smiled suddenly, nodding. "You make the best pancakes I ever ate, Temperance." Parker said with a smile as he looked to his father.

"Don't look at me, I only call her that when she's in trouble." He winked as Brennan let out a laugh as she watched Booth for a second.

"I could always start calling you by your first name." She said, raising her eyebrow.

"We already agreed that was a no-go…" Booth said definitively as Brennan nodded.

"I think it's for the best." She teased back, as they enjoyed the rest of their breakfast together.


	138. Play Hard Ball!

The players were warming up out on the field, and the day was absolutely beautiful. Booth played catch with several of the players, and his eyes kept moving to the bleachers, waiting for Brennan to arrive. She had agreed to meet them separately, only because she had a few errands to run, and practice was before the game. His eyes once again moved to the bleachers, and then he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Distracted, he pulled it from his pocket without telling the little boy that was throwing the ball to him 'time out', smacking him in the knee with the ball. "Ow!" He exclaimed, looking to the boy who had a sheepish grin on his face. "Jacob, you could see I wasn't paying attention… be more careful next time."

"Sorry, coach!" The little boy exclaimed, a smirk still on his face as Booth glanced at the text message.

_Are you looking for someone?_

He smiled a little and looked around, trying to see where she was, he didn't see her. He took leave of the field and walked over toward the dugout. He texted her back.

**Where are you?**

_Oh, I see you… tight jeans… handsome swagger… tell me, where do you keep your gun?_

**Bones, there are kids around.**

_Yes, but they can't read your phone._

**But they can see me blushing**

"Coach?" One of the kids asked as he walked up to Booth, who put his phone down for a minute to address the boy. "Are we almost done with practice, I have to go to the bathroom."

"Yeah, yeah… go on… it's fine." He said, obviously distracted, he was going to look down at his phone, but his eyes caught a familiar figure on the bleachers in front of him, sitting cross legged amidst several other mothers, he smiled.

"Hi Seeley." A woman said as she waved, his attention on Brennan for just a second longer as he forced himself to address the woman.

"Oh… Hi Ms. Hancock…"

"You can call me Barb, it's okay…" She said with a smile. "I was wondering if Sammy is going to get any playing time today."

"Well, ma'am, we try to get everyone out there at least an inning or two, so Sammy will be playing." He said with a smile, noting that it appeared that her question was simply an excuse to talk to him. "I should… go get back to the kids." He said with a polite smile. As he was walking away, his phone buzzed and he laughed.

_You should hear the ladies up here talk about you._

**What are they saying?**

_The obese woman to my left thinks that you would make a good husband. However, do believe the little blonde directly in front of me would like you to be her sexual partner._

**Bones. They think I'm single.**

_Apparently you have a 'tush that is cute enough to take a bite out of'_

**Bones.**

_Why would anyone want to take a bite out of someone's gluteus? Are they cannibalistic?_

**Bones.**

_I wouldn't bite your butt._

**Good to know, I have to get back to the boys.**

_Okay, honey buns_

That got him to turn around and glare at her, and her response was a playful smile, and a little wave, and when he waved back, he could see how absolutely humored she was that she wasn't the only one waving at him. He turned around, shoved his phone in his pocket and walked back toward the kids, finishing up the practice as the kids organized and got ready to play their game.

Brennan had made herself comfortable up on the stands, noting that Booth did seem to be the center of a lot of conversation. He was young, 'single', and really got along well with the kids. Parker was a fantastic child with a great personality, and it didn't hurt that he was the best looking guy out there. The other fathers weren't bad with the kids, it was just that most of them were larger, balder, and unavailable, but Seeley Booth appeared to be a prime candidate for marriage, fatherhood, and a dream affair for a couple of the women. None of them spoke to Brennan, and she observed to be odd, assuming that because she wasn't one of 'them', that she was left 'out of the herd.' She was fine with that, her eyes fell to her phone, and she read the message.

**Look to your left.**

Her head snapped in that direction, and she was met by two familiar brown eyes as he stood on the side of the bleachers looking up at her. "Hey, what's up?" She asked, smiling as he started to climb up onto the bleachers.

"I want to sit with you." He said, noticing immediately that a lot of eyes were on him, and sending Bones death glares as soon as he put his arm around her and kissed her.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" She asked in a teasing tone that made him laugh, knowing full well what she was talking about.

"Ah, Bones… they don't bite." He whispered in her ear. "Unless you ask nicely."

"Booth!" She squeaked, noticing one or two more dirty looks as he settled behind her on the seat right behind her, letting her head tip back in his lap, He leaned down and kissed her lips. "I thought you were coaching."

"Ah… I let one of the back up coaches take over… I wanted to come over here and sit with you." He said, smiling at her happy smile as she looked up and crooked her finger in his direction. He leaned down and she put her lips to his ear.

"You're just worried that I'm going to say something, or do something to one of these women."

"Now why would I think that, Doctor Brennan? You're a very, very confident woman, you know that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. You're a world renowned anthropologist, a New York Times Best selling author… and you make the best pancakes a man could ever ask for."

"The pancakes do it for you, don't they?"

"And the sex." He whispered in her ear, chuckling as he watched her cheeks turn bright red as he sat up and listened to her nervous laugh. "Are you ready for the game, Bones?"

"I'm ready." She said, looking out onto the field, she shielded her eyes from the sun, and after a moment, she felt a baseball cap being placed on her head. She looked up at him and saw him grinning down at her.

"It looks good on you."

"Thank you." She said, reaching up, she adjusted the cap and leaned back, feeling his hands on her shoulders, she was suddenly quite comfortable with the arrangement, and she couldn't wait for the game to get started. After a few minutes, the teams were getting organized in their dugouts, and Brennan could feel his hands slowly rubbing her shoulders, her head leaned to the side, and she dropped a kiss on his fingertips.

"I love you." He said, dropping a kiss on her head.

"I love you too." She whispered, watching a couple heads turn in their direction, the disgust of the display obvious, as Brennan just watched the start of the game and smiled. She looked up at him, and he gave her a curious glance. "Do you want to know which one is the cannibal... just in case you end up in an enclosed space with her?"

He smiled and laughed, shaking his head. "Oh...very funny, funny one, Bones."

"I thought so." She said, feeling another kiss on her head, turning her attention back to the game.


	139. Good Things Must

They were through the fourth inning, and Booth had moved down to sit beside Brennan, his arm around her as they shouted to Parker each time he came to bat, and cheered with the other adults in the stands. Brennan was really getting into the game, spouting off facts about baseball and things that she had learned through 'googling' various things whenever she watched a game. The score was really close, and every time there was some excitement, Booth would give Brennan a squeeze, and she'd pull away a little as she cheered too.

"This is fun." She said, smiling over at him as he kept his focus on the game for a moment.

"Yeah, it's a lot of fun." He replied with a genuine smile. "I should have invited you to Parker's games a long time ago."

"Really?" She asked, raising her eyebrows as he gave her a grin, his eyes on the game.

"Yeah, not one woman has asked me to come fix their pipes or given me her phone number." He whispered, giving her a nudge.

"Oh yes, it must be so hard to be such a hot commodity. I feel very sorry for you." She teased back in a monotone voice. She watched as he jumped a little bit. "What?"

"Speaking of being a hot commodity…" He said, pulling his phone out. "Just a second." He said, seeing the name on the phone, he stood up and hopped from the top of the bleachers as he flipped open his phone. "Booth."

Brennan watched him for a moment, his mannerisms were of agitation, and she knew that it was most likely Culp or Watts calling him. She knew that if it were Cullen or Hacker, his hand would be at his neck, rubbing anxiously. His fist was balled, and he was shaking his head, and he looked up to see that she was watching her, and flashed a weak smile. She was now very sure that whoever was on the phone was calling about something he'd need to address, and when he flipped his phone off and walked to the bleachers, she could see the determination in his eyes.

"What's going on?"

"Culp and Watts may have gotten themselves into some trouble. I have to go in." He said, smacking the bill of the cap so that it went over her eyes.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Nothing to worry about." He said with another weak smile. "Would you mind…?" He said, nodding toward the game.

"I can bring Parker home and keep an eye on him… is his friend staying the night?"

"Jake? Um… It's up to you, Bones… you're either taking care of one or two, if you think you can handle two… then by all means. He's a good kid, won't give you much trouble. Just don't give them any sweets or they'll never go to sleep."

"Okay." She said, grabbing his hand before he stood up again. "Are you going to be gone all night or something?"

"I don't know how long I'll be out. Hopefully this won't take long." He said, leaning in to kiss her tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you…" She said, keeping her thought of anxiety to herself, she didn't want to burden him with her worries. "Be careful." She whispered.

"I am always careful." He winked, kissing her again. "Tell Parker that I'm sorry I couldn't stick around."

"I'll tell him. Hurry up, we'll be fine." She insisted, watching him hop down from the bleachers, he took off toward the car quickly. She watched him run, and could see the near panic in his steps, and she knew it was serious when he turned on the lights and siren on the truck as he pulled out of the parking lot, traveling quickly and safely through the park on his way out toward his destination. Brennan turned and looked toward the field, seeing Parker watching everything, and she suddenly felt bad for him, watching the car pull away quickly, he hadn't even noticed that she was still there. "Parker…" Brennan called, and when he turned his head and saw her, the smile returned to his face. "I think you're up to bat!" She called.

He turned and looked at the coach calling him and grinned. "Thanks, Bones!" He exclaimed, forgetting and not caring about his mix up with her name as he ran to the batter's box.

Brennan watched as the little boy waited on the pitch and took a mighty swing, smacking the ball as hard as he could, Brennan leapt from the bench and called to him excitedly, finding herself drowning out all of the mothers around her, she watched Parker end up on second base, a smile plastered on his face as he pumped his fist excitedly and waved over to Brennan, who waved back, calling to him as she clapped. She glanced to the parking lot one more time, knowing full well that Booth was long gone by now, but couldn't help but wish that he had stuck around just a couple minutes longer to see his son's at bat. She sat down resignedly, watching the next batter.

As Parker was brought around to home from another hitter, he walked around into the dugout, giving a couple of the other players high fives as he glanced to the bleachers and saw that Brennan was no longer there, he frowned a bit and turned, surprised to see her sitting much closer now. He turned and put his fingers on the fence and gave her a sad smile. "Where did dad go?"

"He got a call from work." She said, standing up, she crouched by the fence as she watched him nod sadly.

"So he didn't see my double, huh?"

"No… he didn't…" She said, tipping her head, she scrunched her face a little and watched him pout. "But I did." She said, giving him a hopeful smile. "And we can pick on him that he missed the best part of the game, what do you think?"

"Can we tell him it was a triple?" Parker asked, his eyes widening with a smile.

"I don't think that we should embellish the story… we don't want to make him feel worse…" She said with a laugh.

"Yeah, and lying isn't a good idea."

"Right." She smiled.

"I'm glad you were here, Bones." He said softly, holding up his knuckle to the fence, he watched her for a second, noting that she appeared unsure of what to do. His smile started to fade, and in a second, her knuckle was up against the fence rapping up against his.

"I'm glad I was here too… you better go get your glove, looks like they're putting you out at your places…"

"Positions, Bones… they're positions…"

She laughed, watching Parker grab his glove and give her a shake of the head as he ran out to his spot at third base, and she returned to her spot on the bleachers.

Just as she sat down, her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the text.

**Am I missing anything?**

She looked up at the little boy, waving over at her from third base and she waved back at him, watching his grin brighten as he readied himself.

_Nope, pretty boring game. _

She smiled as she sighed, looking at the next message as it came in.

**Good, I hate missing these things. I love you.**

_If love were measurable and quantifiable, I'd have disagree and say that I love you more._

She smiled as she sent her last message, slipped the phone back in her pocket and looked up just in time to see Parker catch a fly ball.


	140. A New Social Venture

When the game was over, the children shook the hands of their opponents, and ran from their coaches to their parents, excitedly. Brennan was just picking up her bag when a woman approached her fairly quickly, catching her off guard. "Excuse me." She said, noting that Brennan hadn't noticed her, so she poked her arm. "Excuse me?"

"Excuse me?" Brennan said, turning around. "What is so important that you felt that you needed to poke so hard?" She asked with an irritated glare.

"My name is Cindy Wheeler, I'm Charlie's mom… the second basemen on Parker's team, I don't think we've met." She said with a sickeningly sweet smile that Brennan couldn't help but want to smack off.

"Um… I'm Temperance."

"It's so nice to meet you, Temperance. Seeley is so great with the kids, and Charlie likes him so much…"

"Okay." She said awkwardly, not understanding where this woman was going with the conversation, she turned when she heard Parker calling to her. "I have to…" She said as she turned toward the little boy who was hurtling toward her, though the woman obviously didn't get the hint.

"I didn't even know that Seeley was seeing anyone, he never brings anyone to the games or anything… he never really even mentioned that he was seeing anyone." Cindy continued.

"He's a very private person." She said quickly as she hugged Parker.

"Bones, did you see that last hit? Wasn't that awesome? John almost hit that right out of the park!"

"I don't know about out of the park… this is a pretty large facility, Parker…" She said, looking around, she noted that Cindy was still standing right beside her.

"No, Bones… not out of the park, park… out of the park! The baseball park!"

"I don't know what that means…" She said, shaking her head as Parker just laughed.

"Don't worry about it." He said with a laugh as he grabbed her hand. "Come on, let me go introduce you to Jake and his dad." He said, pulling her along, she avoided eye contact with Ms. Wheeler and just let the little boy pull her along. She laughed as he pulled her along, and when they stopped, they were in front of a very attractive man, who was crouched down talking to a blonde haired little boy wearing the same uniform as Parker. He looked familiar for some reason, and she wasn't sure why, and when he looked up at her, she could have sworn she had seen him before. Blonde hair, blue eyes and a body like his wasn't one that many women would miss. "Mr. Burke, I found her." Parker laughed as he grinned at his friend as they both looked up at Brennan and smiled.

The man stood up and held his hand out to Brennan with a kind smile. "Alan Burke." He said with a smile.

"Temperance Brennan…" She said warily as she shook his hand.

He gave her a scrutinizing glance as he let out a chuckle. "You're looking at me like you're trying to figure something out."

"You look familiar."

"Ah… We have met before, Doctor Brennan." He chuckled. "Probably just for a minute or two, so I will try not to be offended." He chuckled.

"I don't think that we have." She shook her head.

"I work at the Hoover with Booth… I'm in the CIRG division, but he introduced us once I'm sure... it was a while ago." He chuckled at her confusion. "You know what, don't worry about it," He laughed. "I'm Alan… this is Jake… and I saw Booth take off, so I'm assuming that he had some business to attend to."

"Um… yeah, yeah…" She shook her head and smiled. "I am sorry, I'm just…"

"Doctor Brennan is dad's girlfriend, and she's his partner, Mr. Burke." Parker explained quickly, noticing that she wasn't sure exactly what to say.

At this prompting, Brennan was finally able to find her tongue, and sighed. "It was my understanding that Jake here was going to spend the night… if you feel that you're not comfortable leaving him in my care, then I would…"

"No, no… it's fine." Alan said with a friendly smile. "Booth speaks the world of you, Doctor Brennan, and if you think you can handle these two monsters, then by all means, the boys have a great time together."

"Well then, it's settled… Jake is coming with us, Parker…" She said with a smile as they watched the two boys exclaim their happiness as Jake handed over his glove to his dad.

"My bag is in dad's car." He said with a smile, as he took off toward the parking lot.

"We'll meet you at your car, Bones." Parker said, running after his friend, leaving Brennan and Alan together.

"Well, Mr. Burke… it was nice to meet you." She said with a smile. "I'm going to get them fed, and maybe find something… to do with them, I guess until Booth gets home."

"You can call me Alan, that's fine… And if you put them in front of a video game, they'll be amused for hours."

"Uh… Okay…" She said, awkwardly, unsure if that was going to be the best use of the two boy's brains, but not speaking up, she smiled politely. "I am sure Booth will give you a call tomorrow, or something?" She said, shrugging. "I'm really not that familiar with this particular social venture, so pardon me if I seem a bit out of practice."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine." He said with a smile, watching her wary eye as she eyed the car.

"I should… probably go get the boys…" She said as she waved politely.

"It was nice to meet you again, Doctor Brennan."

"It was nice to meet you." She smiled, turning around, she made her way toward the car quickly, as she watched Parker and Jake looking around for her.


	141. You Give Love, a Bad Name

When Brennan reached her car, the boys were approaching her quickly, Jake holding his bag, and Parker still holding his glove. "Are you boys ready to go?"

"Yeah!" They both exclaimed as they heard the alarm on the car disarm, and Parker swung open the door to the car. Brennan cringed as it nearly hit the car next to her, but luckily, he caught it before it did, glancing to her with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Bones." He said as he climbed into the back seat, grabbing Jake's bag as he climbed in as well.

"It's fine… just be careful." She said with a slight smile, she watched Parker nod and she put the passenger seat back as she walked around to the driver side. She glanced into the back seat as she climbed in to ensure they were buckled, just as her phone buzzed.

**Game over?**

She smiled and sighed, texting him quickly back that it was, and that they had won.

**Great! Tell Parker I said great job!**

"Your dad said great job for winning the game, guys." Brennan said with a smile as Parker and Jake both grinned, and began to jabber about their favorite parts of the game. She flipped the phone closed and put it on the center console as she put the car in drive and headed toward the diner. She parked the car and the three of them piled out onto the sidewalk as the two boys took the lead and walked into the diner ahead of Brennan. Jake held the door open for her, and she smiled. "Well thank you, Jake."

"It's no problem, Doctor Brennan." He smiled politely, and followed her into the diner toward where Parker was sitting down.

"I would have opened the door for you, Bones, but Jake already had it." Parker said, noting her smile as she sat down across from the two boys.

"It's fine, Parker… you're both very polite, there's no need to compete for my affections."

"Huh?" Parker asked as she handed them each a menu.

"Okay… you two can have anything you want…" She said with a smile. "Within reason, of course." She said as the boys' eyes widened at the menu.

"I'm just going to have a cheeseburger and fries." Parker said putting the menu down with a smile.

"Me too." Jake said grinning as they waited for the waitress when she noticed that they were ready to order.

* * *

The three of them talked about the game and various other things after they ordered, and their meals were delivered to the table and polished off in no time, leaving Brennan a bit flustered over what to do next. She smiled at the two boys as she started to get up, and was a bit exasperated when they ran toward the register with her, obviously racing one another.

"Alright boys…" She said, watching them laugh and continue to talk as they ignored her and laughed, arguing about who beat who, she reached over them and paid for their meal as she tried to figure out what to do next. She was very overwhelmed with the entire situation, but she tried to remain calm about the entire thing, hoping that the boys would calm down once they got outside. She paid for the meal, and when she turned around, she noticed both boys were no longer in the diner, and she suddenly became extremely anxious. She hurried and grabbed the change, running from the diner, she looked back and forth, feeling a sudden rush of fear as she walked quickly down the street in search of them.

"Parker?" She called, her voice shaking slightly as she imagined the worst, and she had seen a lot, so the worst was very, very bad. "Parker, Jake?" She called, and just as she got to the corner of the street, the two boys jumped out at her.

"BOO!" They exclaimed, making her jump and grab her chest as her heart began to pound.

She was speechless at first, wanting to shout at the two boys for frightening her, but she did something else, something that scared them even more. She grabbed their hands and started pulling them toward the car without a word. "Bones?" Parker called, trying to get her attention, but she just continued leading them down the street toward the car. "Bones, I'm sorry… we were just joking around, Bones?" He called as she reached the car and released their hands, with no other words, she opened the back seat door and raised her eyebrows.

"We're sorry, Doctor Brennan… please? Please don't be mad, we are sorry…" Jake said, his voice begging as they looked up at her, but all she could do was point to the back seat. The two boys scrambled inside and were silent as she closed the door behind them and walked around to the driver's seat, climbing in, she glanced to see that they were both buckled. She let out a short sigh that neither of them saw, and felt very guilty for having them think she was so very upset with them, when all she had really been was concerned.

"Bones, please don't be mad." Parker said, as tears sprung to his eyes. "Bones, I'm sorry… Please don't be mad."

She noticed the tears in the boys eyes and turned her head, seeing the anguish in his eyes, she wasn't sure why he appeared to be so upset, and felt even guiltier as he cried. "Parker, it's okay… you two were just playing around, I understand."

"I don't want you to be mad, Bones." He cried. "I don't want you to hate me… and not want to be dad's girlfriend anymore. I'm sorry."

"Hey…" She said, reaching her hand back to him, she clasped her hand. "That is a very… silly thing to say." She said, shaking her head. "I could never hate you, Parker… I'm not mad, it's okay."

"Are you sure? Are you sure?" He sniffled, squeezing her hand as he watched the sincerity in her eyes.

"I promise… I'm not mad, and I could never hate you… and despite my relationship with your daddy… our relationship is completely separate from mine with his. You're my friend, Parker… nothing is going to change that, I promise."

"Sorry we ran off, Doctor Brennan, it was my idea… we were just joking around." Jake spoke up.

"Well, thank you for your honesty, Jake." She nodded her head and smiled at the boys. "What do you say we pick up a jigsaw puzzle, or a game of some kind at the store… and we can do that and watch a movie this evening?" She asked.

"Yeah…" The boys exclaimed happily as Brennan gave Parker another squeeze of his hand as she turned around and looked at the two boys in the rear view mirror, her eyes on them for a moment as she watched them both sigh in relief as Parker wiped his tears. She was just about to pull from the space when her phone rang.

The boys were now talking quietly together, and she flipped her phone open. "Brennan."

"Hey."

"Hey to you." She replied, noticing he was whispering. "What's going on?"

"I just wanted to say that I love you." He said softly.

"I love you, what's going on?" She asked, sensing the anxiety through the phone. "Booth?" She asked at his pause.

"We're going to be pursuing a suspect in a little while."

"So you called to let me know you won't be home until late?" She asked, swallowing hard, sensing something more.

"That's part of it."

"And the other part?" She asked, swallowing again.

"How is Parker?"

"He's fine, Booth… what's the other part?"

"That was it." He said, his voice was soft and sincere, but she could hear something behind it. "Can I talk to him?"

"Of course." She said, turning, she gave Parker the phone.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey Bub… are you being good for Bones?"

"Yeah… Jake is staying over, we're going to do a jigsaw puzzle and watch a movie tonight."

"That sounds like fun… do me a favor, alright?"

"Okay."

"Keep Bones busy… she worries sometimes about silly things… keep her occupied, alright."

"Okay." He said with a smile. "Are you going to be home tonight?"

"I'm going to be there as soon as I can. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Dad."

"Let me talk to Bones again, okay?"

"Okay." He said, handing the phone back to Brennan, he smiled when she took it.

"Bones." Booth said immediately. "I love you." He said again.

"I love you." She whispered.

"Don't worry about me, okay?"

"You know when you say that, it only instills a higher sense of concern on my part. Its as if you're telling me subconsciously that you're about to put yourself in a dangerous situation, and that you want to reassure me by telling me that you love me."

"Is it subconscious?" He asked.

"Be careful Booth."

"As always, Bones." He said, the phone clicking dead as she flipped her phone closed, and with a quiet and unsteadily shaking hand, she popped the car into drive, and made her way toward the store.

* * *

Several hours later, Brennan sit on the couch in Booth's apartment, a book in her hand as the movie had ended nearly an hour before. The boys were full of popcorn, water, and an entertaining action movie, and had both passed out cold on the floor. She hadn't heard from Booth since the conversation earlier, and she was trying so very hard not to feel the anxiety that was stirring in her belly. If she didn't know any better, she'd think this was the infamous 'gut' speaking to her. She looked up at her phone for the one hundredth time, and re-read the paragraph she had been trying to get through for the past hour one more time.

She glanced to the two boys sleeping and sighed when she closed the book, letting her eyes lift to the ceiling, just as her phone began to buzz. She flipped it open and sighed. "It's about time." She said, noting the name of the person calling, she heard the frightened voice on the other line and her blood ran cold. "Culp? Why are you calling me on Booth's phone?" She asked, dreading the answer that she would provide, it was worse than she had imagined.

"Booth has been shot."


	142. Jumping To Conclusions

As soon as she heard Culp speak those words, her eyes fell to the two boys sleeping on the floor. "Explain!" Was the only word she managed to say as she leapt from the couch and made her way into the kitchen. The agent on the other end of the line began to spout off details of the incident, how it happened, and what hospital Booth was being brought to, though Brennan didn't once ask for Booth's status. She knew that the agent wouldn't know, and it didn't matter to her what his status was, she was getting to that hospital whether it he was dead or alive. When Culp was finished explaining that Booth was now in surgery, Brennan didn't say another word, just simply flipped the phone closed and shoved it in her pocket, as she ran into the bedroom to find the jeans she had changed out of to replace the sweatpants she was now wearing.

Once she was dressed, she stepped out of the bathroom and came face to face with Parker, who looked tired, and absolutely frightened. "Parker." She said, a gasp in her voice.

"Something happened to dad, didn't it?" He said, though it was quite obvious that it wasn't a question.

"Something happened at work, yes." She replied, completely unsure of what she was going to say to him. This was not how the weekend was supposed to go, and Brennan never thought she'd be in a situation like this, ever.

"Someone hurt him, Didn't they?" He said, with tears in his eyes.

"Why would you say that?" Brennan said, approaching the little boy, she grabbed him in a hug. "I'm have to go check on him." She whispered. "I'm going to go check on him to make sure he's okay… because I don't know anything definitive right now." She said as she crouched down in front of him. "And the worst thing that someone can do in a situation like this is jump to conclusions."

"Why?"

"Because why worry about something that you don't know anything about, right? Why give yourself a stomachache if you don't have to."

"Do you have a stomachache, Bones?" He whispered, that lower lip starting to poke out.

"Maybe a little one, but that's because I'm trying very hard not to jump to conclusions." She said, watching the boy try so very hard to be brave. "Why don't you help me out here… and I'll be able to check on your dad, and we won't have to jump to conclusions, because then we'll have all of the facts." She said with a hopeful smile.

"Okay." He nodded.

"You go wake up Jake… and I'm going to see if Angela can meet me at the hospital… she can let you two sleep in the car, or the waiting room or something while I go inside and check on your dad… then I can relay a call to you, to let you know what the situation is."

"Relay?"

"Yes." She nodded. "That's what police officers do… with their radios, its handing off a call to another officer, what do you think about that?"

"Okay." Parker said, a smile on his face as he nodded, watching Brennan's face of any sign of worry, she was a blank slate, and it made him feel all the more confident. "Do you have a light and siren on your car like dad does?" He asked hopefully.

"Not yet." She said with a half smile, but after this weekend, I'm seriously considering it. "Go on and get Jake up, I'm going to call Angela and we'll go ASAP." She said, noticing the look on his face was contorted into one of confusion "As soon as possible." She said with a smile. "So let's go… chop, chop…" She said, remembering something that Booth had said a lot over the years, and she never understood, but it appeared to mean to hurry. With that, Parker grinned and took off into the living room to wake up Jake, and she lifted her phone to her ear after hitting her speed dial '4', sending the next phone call to Angela, as she tried to control the pains in her stomach from the worry brewing within it.


	143. Ass and Ye Shall Receive

As soon as Brennan pulled into the circle at the emergency room of the hospital, she saw Angela waiting. She stopped the car and Angela walked to the driver's seat as Brennan climbed out. "How is he?" Angela asked, her voice was panicked, as she attempted to remain as calm as possible, especially with the two boys in the car staring up at her.

"He's in surgery." She said, glancing to the boys, she gave Parker a hopeful smile and he put his fist to the glass, she rapped the glass with her fist and gave him a nod. "I'll call you when he's out, when I know more." She said, watching Angela nod as she climbed into the car and looked to the back seat. She glanced to see her friend, but Brennan had already disappeared behind the doors.

"Hey guys." Angela said, her voice was a bit sleepy, but she was alert enough to see the fear on both of the kid's faces. "You know what is open twenty four hours a day?" She asked with a curious expression. The boys looked to her nervously. "The diner… why don't we wait this out there…?" She asked, as both boys nodded their head, and she smiled in a knowing way as she made her way toward the familiar eatery.

Brennan on the other hand, was stomping down the emergency room hallway toward the desk, her eyes were determined, and she wasn't about to accept the run around. "I am Doctor Temperance Brennan…" She said, knowing that if she threw 'doctor' into the mix, they could possibly be flustered enough to not ask her what kind of doctor she was. "I work with the FBI, and my partner was brought in here this evening with a gunshot wound. I was told he was in surgery at this time, but I am wondering if I could get his status?" She said, throwing a bit of politeness into the sentence, knowing as Booth had said that you get more something with something than vinegar. She had no idea what it meant, but it usually pertained to her attitude toward others when she was in the process of getting something.

"Just a moment." The nurse at the desk said as she typed on the computer. "His name?"

"Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"Gunshot wound?"

"He was brought in by ambulance?"

"His associates informed me of that, yes."

The nurse typed a few more things in and looked up at Brennan. "He's in surgery now… shot in the… the bullet lodged near his hip."

"He was shot where?" She asked, watching the woman make a face.

"Gluteus."

Brennan was absolutely shocked by the location of the bullet wound and paused. "He was…"

"Shot in the ass, Ma'am." The nurse behind the nurse at the desk said matter-of-factly. "I just came from the surgery… apparently, one of the other agents with Agent Booth discharged their weapon on accident… It entered his Gluteus Maximus, and then the bullet settled here… in his hip at the Gluteus Medius…" She said, holding out a chart that showed the trail of the bullet. No arteries were hit, and it appears he'll make a full recovery, but we did have to remove the bullet, which is why he's in surgery at this time. There was also quite a bit of bleeding… but the surgery won't be much longer."

"Did you say that you were Temperance Brennan?" The nurse at the computer said as she watched the woman nod, her jaw was set and she looked extremely angry.

"Yes."

"You're Agent Booth's medical proxy, so if you'd like to go into that waiting room right there… we'll come get you when he is in recovery."

"Would it be possible for you to point me in the direction of Agent Booth's associates? The two agents that came with him." She said with a stern 'do not mess with me' tone to her voice.

The nurse nodded politely. "I will bring them to you as soon as possible, and we'll check again on Agent Booth's status."

"Thank you." Brennan said with a stern tone, she turned and stalked toward the waiting room, her fists balled in anger as she tried her very best not to punch anyone, or anything on her way to her seat.

Once she was seated, she felt a little calmer. She knew that he was alive, and he would be fine, and she could feel her heartbeat slowing to a steadier rate. She glanced to the door and sighed, picking up her phone, she dialed Angela.

"What did you find out?" Angela said immediately.

"He was shot in the ass." Brennan said, resting her forehead in her hand, she didn't know whether she wanted to laugh or cry. She could hear Angela on the other line, the pause.

"Are you laughing or crying?" Angela asked.

"I'm not sure." She admitted, as she started to laugh, but tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"Do you need me to come back?"

"Where are you?"

"We just got to the diner, I was going to take them in for some midnight snacks…"

"Right, give them stomach aches before bed… good idea…"

"Bren, focus… Booth… He's going to be okay, right?"

"He should be fine… no major arteries hit… nothing damaging according to the nurses…" She said, though there was a bit of a giggle in her voice. "Ange… I…"

"That's relief, sweetheart… just ride the wave…" She said, noting that Brennan seemed a little out of sorts. "Do you need me to come back?"

"No… no, I'll be okay." She said, taking a deep breath, she wiped her tears. "Can I talk to Parker, please?"

"Sure." She said, and there was a pause.

"Hello?" Parker said, his voice was curious though he knew who was on the other line.

"Hey Parker… It's Bones."

"I know, Bones." He said, a slight smile in his voice, she was glad that he appeared to be calm. "Is dad okay?"

"He's going to be alright, buddy… he's still in with the doctor, but I wanted to let you know he'll be okay."

"Are you okay, Bones? You sound like you're crying."

"Nah… nah… I'm good, I'm okay." She said, sniffling.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be okay… I'll call you when I know more, okay?"

"Okay, Bones… thank you." He said, the tone of a smile in his voice made her smile.

"Bye Parker." She said with a half smile and flipped her phone, her smile disappearing as soon as she saw the shadow of the two forms approaching the room, she shoved her phone into her pocket and prepared herself for what she was going to say to the two agents when they walked into the room.


	144. Tackling the Toddlers

Brennan could feel her anger mounting with each passing second, and the moment she saw the two agents enter the waiting room, she approached them rapidly. "Doctor Brennan." Culp said, her voice was obviously full of emotion, she was genuinely concerned.

"Why didn't you tell me that one of you morons was the one that shot him?"

"Doctor Brennan, there is no reason to be throwing around accusations." Watts said with a defensive stance, the Doctor had her fists balled and was right in both of their faces, and he was sure that if they said one wrong thing he'd be at the business end of Doctor Brennan's fists.

"No reason to be throwing around accusations? Excuse me?" She exclaimed angrily. "My partner is lying on a surgical table with an extra hole in his ass, and you're telling me that I shouldn't be throwing around accusations?"

"Watts was the one that shot him, Doctor Brennan." Culp said, watching the anger in Brennan's eyes flash to her, she realized that she should have kept her mouth shut.

"Culp!" Watts exclaimed.

"What, you were… Doctor Brennan, we were…"

"Shut up." She cut them off. "Just shut… up!" She said, her face turning red as she stared at the two of them. She was about to go into a tirade, when the nurse opened the door. She turned her face toward her and noticed that she looked concerned for the fallout of what had happened.

"Doctor Brennan, they'll be bringing him into recovery soon." She said, watching the anger drain from her face as her jaw dropped slightly.

"He's done?"

"They're just about done… we can take you into recovery." She said, a supportive smile on her face when she realized that she must have just walked in at the right moment. Her fists were balled angrily, and her face had been so red as she stood up to the two agents.

"I'll be right out… I need to discuss something with my associates." She said, watching the nurse pause for a moment before disappearing out the door, closing it behind her. "Ex- associates." Brennan mumbled.

"Doctor Brennan, you are just a contractor with the FBI, you really can't…"

"I can't what? I can't what?" She said, stepping toward both agents, she noticed how they both took a step back and knew she had them right where she wanted them. "Why don't we start by talking about what I can do, alright? I can ensure that you will never, ever carry a firearm again. I can testify that you are an incompetent sociopath with issues with authority. I am an accomplished authority in forensics, Agent Watts… if I wanted to, I could determine that based on the trajectory of the bullet, that you were trying to shoot Agent Booth in the femoral artery so that he would bleed out and die. I could do very many things, Agent Watts… very many things… so don't you dare think, for one second that just because I am contracted with the FBI, that my professional expertise or connections in this field will do me no good, because I have made friends in very high places, Agent Watts… and I am not afraid to use them." She said angrily as she turned to Agent Culp. "And as for you… You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"Turning on your partner like that? You should be absolutely ashamed of yourself. This man… if you want to call him that, it is completely up to you… but he is your partner, alright? You're supposed to be willing to watch his back no matter the situation… I have two nine year old boys in the car who have more compassion for the bullies in their school than you do for the person who is supposed to be protecting you! There is a part of me that wishes that you two had just turned the guns on yourselves and put us all out of our misery!" She exclaimed, she turned on her heel and walked toward the door, pausing as she grabbed the handle. She turned again. "I want a full report of how this happened as soon as possible. If I'm going to have to deal with losing my partner for several weeks because of your incompetence, then you're going to be dealing with me." She exclaimed as she swung the door open and stomped out, allowing the door to slam in her wake.

* * *

The nurse led her down a hallway toward a room that was empty but for a small chair in the corner and a table. She was told that Booth was nearly done, and that they'd be bringing him in shortly. They asked that she fill out some paperwork, and she was more than happy to have something to keep herself busy while she waited anxiously.

She had just finished the paperwork when the door opened, tears springing to her eyes as she stood, the bed rolled into the room as she watched. The nurse smiled at her and reached her hand for the clipboard. "He is going to be out for a while… and probably out of it for a little while longer than that. So if you'd like to go…"

"No." She shook her head. "No, I want to be right here when he wakes up." She replied.

"That's fine." She said, sending Brennan a sympathetic smile, though it wasn't even seen, for the woman's eyes were remaining on the man lying in the bed, and only him.

The nurse quietly excused herself and Brennan stepped forward and touched his hand, letting out a breath she had sucked in moments before without realizing. She then, without moving her attention from her partner, sent Angela a text to let her know that Booth was alright, and that she was going to be staying the night with him in the hospital, giving her the signal to take the two boys back to Booth's house for the rest of the night.


	145. Long Gone

The hours ticked by without a moment's notice for Brennan. Her eyes remained on his facial features, her back resting against the uncomfortable plastic of the chair. He was lying on his side, blankets covering him comfortably, and his arm rested beneath his pillow as his other hand lie flat on the bed, unmoving even in the obvious dream state that he should have found himself in, given the drugs they had administered. She reached her hand forward, an easy reach from her chair since she dragged it to rest against his bed, her face inches from his.

She had placed her head on the mattress, her hand on top of his, her fingers carefully tracing over the lines and creases in his skin as she rested. She heard him take a deep breath, smack his lips as if he were thirsty, but she didn't think anything of it, he had been doing that for the past hour, regaining his sense of 'now' as he sleep, dreaming of something that must have been too good to wake up from. For a second, she had a bit of a panic, remembering his previous reaction to anesthetic, and ran through in her mind what the doctor had told her about the surgery when he was brought into recovery.

Her fingers rubbed very softly against his as she ran her thumb and forefinger over his ring finger unconsciously, she heard a soft groan, but didn't move, his finger twitching as she watched the hand move. She ran her fingertips over his middle finger, feeling it twitch beneath her touch, she found a sad smile on her lips.

"Bones?" His voice was raspy and soft, and she lifted her head to look into his eyes, finding them open, and somewhat alert. His lips curled to a sleepy smile and he cleared his throat slightly, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Do you need ice chips or something?" She asked, starting to get up, his hand moved and grabbed hers.

"No." He whispered. "Not yet."

"Why?"

"Because if you call them, they'll come in here." He whispered, that sleepy smile widening.

"I don't understand Booth, you woke up, and they asked me to come get them if you…."

"Shh…" He said, shaking his head and furrowing his brow, he watched her brow furrow and she leaned in closer to him.

"Oh… did I hurt your head, or your…"

"No, I was just trying to get you to stop worrying. It's okay."

She scowled at him and he let out a slight chuckle and cleared his throat again. "What happened?" She whispered.

"I'm so happy you're here." He whispered, completely ignoring the question. He could see the annoyance in her eyes as soon as the words left his lips, and instantly felt guilty.

"Booth." She said, her voice was a bit shaky, and he could see that she was trying very hard to maintain her composure. "What happened?"

"I love you." He whispered, his eyes closing as he felt a shot of pain, a whimper escaped his lips and it was now her turn to feel guilty.

"Booth, are you in pain? I'm calling the nurse." She said, with no question in her voice. She knew he'd tell her what had happened, but pain management was priority.

"No, no… Bones, I'll be okay… I'll be okay." He said, his voice a whining whimper, watching her push the nurse button without listening to him.

"No, you need pain medication. You're in pain… stop being a alpha male, and just admit it. You were shot, Booth." She said, and again he heard the waver of in her voice. "Let them give you the medication." She whispered, touching his cheek. "You will sleep a little, and then I can go tell Parker that you're okay, and make arrangements for Rebecca to take him home."

"Parker." Booth said, his voice a full on whine at this point.

"He's okay, he knows you're okay… he was scared, but he knows you're going to be alright." She said, running her hand across his cheek, she could see he was still in so much pain, but was trying to be brave. "Just let them give you the medicine, okay?" She whispered, when the nurse walked in and noticed he was awake. She leaned down and kissed him, and started to turn toward the nurse when he grabbed her hand. He held her hand as she explained to the nurse that he was in pain, what his allergies were, and the pain treatment that she recommended based on his level of pain. The nurse listened carefully and nodded, saying that she'd find out what the doctor had recommended for a pain management regiment for him, and thanked her, asking Booth if he'd be okay for a little bit, he nodded and she went to find the doctor.

"Bones?" He whispered, noticing that she had continued watching the door for a moment after the nurse had disappeared out of it. She turned and faced him, and she could see the pain in her eyes, the fear, and the sadness. "I'm alright, Bones. I'm alive, I am here."

"This shouldn't have happened." She whispered. "If I was there, this would not have happened."

"Bones…"

"No." She whispered, her voice ever so forced and frustrated. "No, Booth…" She shook her head. "Those two morons should not be in the FBI."

"They told you?"

"I only know that Watts was the one that discharged his weapon. He should be arrested, or… have his gun taken away… maybe his body buried at the bottom of the Potomac…" She mumbled.

"Bones…" Booth let out a raspy laugh. "You're exaggerating now."

"I am not exaggerating." She snapped, and he immediately saw the tears in her eyes. "I am not exaggerating." She said again, trying to hold in her emotions, Booth realized that he had never seen her like this before. She was slowly falling apart, and trying her damndest to regain her composure, failing miserably. Sure, he had seen her upset over her father, over any injury he had received in the past, but this was different, this was more 'real', and the look in her eyes was beginning to scare him.

"Bones, it's okay." He whispered. "I'm okay. Please don't get so upset. Please?"

"I'm not upset." She said, straightening up she looked down at him, but couldn't keep the pain from her eyes. "I'm fine."

"Bones…" He said, watching the walls begin to go up quickly. "Bones, please? I love you."

Just as he said those words, the doctor entered the room with the needle with the medication. He walked up to the bed, and Booth kept his eyes on Brennan as she took a step back. The doctor was explaining a few things, and Booth didn't hear a word, he just wanted to make sure that Brennan was okay. The doctor administered the medication, and had been clear that it would most likely make him drowsy immediately. He turned around and talked to Brennan, and Booth could barely make out what he was saying, for the words seemed mumbled and jumbled as his ears rang. The pain was gone, but he could feel his consciousness fading quickly. He fought it for all he was worth, fought it until the doctor was gone, and he was left with only Brennan.

She walked toward his bed, and took his hand, leaning down to look in his eyes as she ran her fingers over his brow with her other hand, dropping a tender kiss on his forehead. She could see the clouds moving in over his eyes, the heaviness of his eyelids. "We will talk about all of this when you're feeling better, okay?" She watched him nod his head and she kissed his temple again. "I will take care of Parker… and I will be right back… get some rest, feel better." She whispered. "I love you, baby." She whispered.

He wasn't sure if that last word was real or imagined, and somehow, that word slipping from her lips to his ears was one of the most beautiful things he had ever heard. His eyes closed as he drifted off, her lips on his temple once more, and as his consciousness was lost, he not once felt cold, for her hand remained in his until he was long gone.


	146. Pinky and the Brainiac

The next time he opened his eyes, the room was out of focus, and he felt very alone. "Booth, are you okay?" He heard the cloudy voice of his partner beside him, his eyes moving to a blob nearly in front of him. "Hey… it's me." She whispered. He felt her hand on his cheek and couldn't help but let a goofy grin rise on his lips.

"Bones." He said, his voice nearly startling himself, though it only came out as a whisper. "What time is it?"

"You've been out most of the day." She said, her form still blurry in his eyes, but he could picture her clearly sitting beside him, and he could feel her hand in his.

"You're beautiful." He whispered, his eyes dropping closed as he squeezed them tightly, opening them again, she was a little clearer, at least he could see her eyes now. "My stomach hurts." He grumbled.

"It's just a reaction to the medication, do you need me to get you anything?" She whispered, her hand lightly feathering the side of his face, her nose just inches from his.

"Mm… Hungry." He whispered.

"Well, you're lucky that I stole a couple of these off the food cart tray…" She whispered as she pulled a rolling table in his direction, two blobs of white came into view, and a smile lit up his sleepy face.

"Pudding?" He whispered, tipping to the side a bit, he could feel a wedge pillow against his back as he tried to move. He winced in pain. "Oh God…" He grunted as he gritted his teeth.

"Whoa there, big Ape…" She said with a smile, as his groan turned into a slight laugh.

"Bones, don't make me laugh, it hurts…" He whined.

"Then be more careful."

"But you brought me pudding…" He whined. "Just when I didn't think I could love you more." He mumbled as he tried to sit up a little more.

"Just be careful…" She said, pulling the top from one of the cups, she set it on the table and helped him pull his arm out from beneath him, and steady himself against the wedged pillow as not to bump his bandages. He held his hand out, wiggling his fingers as his brow furrowed. "Patience, Booth." She said with a scowl, and with that he let out a whining grunt. He wiggled his fingers again, and she shook her head and placed the cup in his hand.

"Spoon?" He asked, she gave him a glare and pulled a plastic wrapped spoon from behind her and carefully, and slowly unwrapped it.

"Bo-ones! Hurry!" He whined.

"You seriously did not go there." She said, holding the spoon just out of reach.

"You are evil!" He exclaimed, reaching for the spoon, he snatched it out of her hand and grinned, dropping the spoon into the pudding, he shoved a mouthful into his mouth.

"You know…" Brennan said as she sat back in her chair with her 'know it all' look on her face. "Pudding is made with gelatin…do you know what Gelatin is made of sometimes?"

"I don't care, Bones." He said with a full mouth of pudding, he tipped his head back as he enjoyed it.

"It's a protein produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen… It's extracted from boiled bones, connective tissues, organs… intestines of some animals like cattle, pigs… horses…" She said, watching the disgusted look on his face for a moment. "I'm just saying." She shrugged.

He glared at her for another moment, his eyes traveling quickly to the other cup of pudding, and back to his partner. "Good." He said as he waved toward the other cup with his spoon. "Then you're not going to want any… more please?" He mumbled as she glared and took the now empty cup from his hands and shook her head.

"Glutton."

"Brainiac." He muttered, as they passed a secret smile between the two of them, as a sense of normalcy seemed to penetrate the air.


	147. Full Disclosure

After devouring those two cups of pudding, Booth found that he had exhausted all of the strength that he had. He just lay there staring at Brennan with a sleepy expression, and her eyes remained on him. "What, Bones?" He said, his voice slurred from the medication that the nurse had administered a few minutes earlier. "You look worried."

"I am worried." She admitted, wholeheartedly. "I'm very worried."

"There's nothing to worry about, baby… those morons can't get to me in here." He said with a light chuckle, that made her smile a little, shaking her head at him.

"No." She said softly. "They can't get in here…" She sighed, and he could tell something else was on her mind.

"Talk to me, Boots."

"Bones." She said, a smile on her face that made him send her that cocky grin that he couldn't help but give her. "I'll be okay."

"You'll be okay, but you're not okay… you should always be okay, okay?"

"You should try not to talk so much." She said playfully, leaning on the bed, she dropped a kiss on his lips.

"You called me baby." He said, his grin widening.

"What? Just now? No… no I didn't."

"Earlier." He smiled, watching her blush a little. "Oh, you're blushing… that means that it's true!" He laughed, wincing when he moved a bit and a bit of pain shot through him.

"See that… You're hurting yourself by making things up." She said, standing up, she adjusted his pillow carefully and pulled his blanket up onto him. "You need some sleep."

"And you need to admit that you're one sappy chick…" He laughed, his voice slightly slurred.

"I am going to check your chart, and whatever pain medication you're on, they better take it down a notch or two… you're getting loopy."

"Loopty!" he laughed.

"Booth, calm down." She said, trying not to laugh, she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "You need some rest."

"Wait." He said, grabbing her hand as she moved away from him. "You're not leaving me, are you?"

"Right now, or in the long run?" She asked, winking at him with a sly smile, the playful glare she received in return was just enough to make her smile a little more brightly. "If you ask me to stay the night, I'll stay the night."

"Where will you sleep?" He mumbled sleepily.

"Nearby." She whispered, kissing his cheek softly.

"Will you call me baby again?" He whispered, feeling the medication starting to take effect, his eyes drifted closed.

"I didn't call you baby before."

"Mmhm, yes you did." He said, sighing as he felt her kiss his cheek again. "It was nice."

"Well you're a grown man, not a baby… there would be no reason for me to call you that. It would be ridiculous." She replied, stroking his hair softly as he mumbled a bit, though it was clear that he was starting to fall asleep.

"Don't go home." He mumbled. "Stay. Please?"

"That's all you had to say, baby." She whispered, kissing his temple tenderly, she watched a slow, sleepy grin rise on his face. "That was of course in reference to your childish begging…" She teased.

"Sure it was, Bones… sure it was." He whispered, as he finally drifted to sleep.

* * *

In what he was sure he had been sleeping for minutes, but in reality it had been hours, Booth woke from another sleepy haze, and was immediately aware that he was being watched. He could sense the eyes that were watching him, as they stared hard into his face, though he was sure that the crystal blue eyes that he longed to look into were not upset, only concerned. When he opened his eyes, he was rewarded with a relieved smile, though it was laced with something darker, something sad. "What's wrong, Bones?" He whispered. The moment he said her name, he could see the relief mask her earlier expression.

"Nothing is wrong, Booth." She said, leaning forward, she rested her chin on the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Physically? Like someone shoved hot metal in my ass cheek…" He muttered with a grumble.

"Booth…"

"I'm concerned about you, Bones… You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"I'm fine, Booth… really."

"You thought I was going to wake up and not know who you were." He said, watching her flinch slightly at the accusation. "I know you, Bones… you think everything is tied together… everything is connected. And contrary to popular belief… my brain is not in my ass… so the surgery I had… not brain surgery… and they made sure that I was on an anesthesia that I could handle… and besides…." He said as he caught her hand in his. "How could I ever forget someone as beautiful as you?" He whispered.

She tilted her head to show that he was being ridiculous in his assumptions, but he didn't fall for it for a second. "Booth…"

"It's not fair that when I ask you to talk to me, I have to read your mind in order to get you to tell me what you're thinking." He said softly. "I need you to offer it to me, Bones. Especially when it has something to do with me."

"But I'm fine, Booth." She shook her head. "So I have been having irrational fears, and illogical thoughts… I don't need to burden you with them, I can compartmentalize and…"

"No." He shook his head, furrowing his brow to show his sincerity. "You cannot compartmentalize your thoughts about me, Bones. It doesn't work that way."

"But…"

"Full disclosure, Bones."

"Booth."

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you." She sighed, watching his brown eyes implore her for several moments with no words, only a conversation between their expressions. "I'll try to be more transparent." She said softly.

"I assure you, that your efforts will not be in vain." He said with a wink as he tugged her arm lightly. She leaned down and kissed his lips tenderly. "Bones?" He whispered, kissing her cheek, she looked at him expectantly. "Can you do some magic… get us out of this stupid hospital today?" He mumbled.

"You know I don't believe in magic, Booth." She said playfully. "But I will see what I can do about muscling our way out of here." She said, raising her eyebrows as she stood up straight.

"That's my girl." He said, squeezing her hand, he was happy to see that her smile was back in its rightful place once again.


	148. It's a Big One

He didn't remember being discharged, and he didn't remember the trip to the car, or the struggle to get into the car. He didn't remember nearly toppling over Brennan as he climbed from his 'booster' seat in the SUV, or the slow, steady, painful walk to the elevator. The first thing he remembered was walking into the apartment that was surrounded by her scent, and the sixty inch plasma screen television that was now sitting awkwardly out of place in the middle of her living room.

"Holy crap, Bones!" Booth exclaimed, staggering into the room, he started to move toward it, and she had to stop him before he tackled it.

"Easy, Booth… easy… couch…" She said, sighing as she grabbed his arm, pulling him backwards carefully toward the couch. "You need to sit down, Booth."

He swung around and grabbed her by the shoulders. She could tell that he was so out of it, that he was simply holding her for support, but his eyes were so wide, that she had no idea what jibber jabber would come flying from his lips. "You bought me a television?"

"No." She stated, watching his eyes squint at her for a moment as if he had lost focus. "I bought it for myself."

"It's a little big for just you, isn't it Bones? It's HUGE!" He exclaimed, swinging his arm toward the television, she grabbed his arm, and pulled him toward her, and they instantly wrapped around her. "Thanks for springing me from jail, Bones."

She rolled her eyes and leaned into him, kissing him softly on the lips. "You need to sit down on the couch." She whispered.

"But it hurts." He whispered back in an exaggerated tone. "It hurts so much, Bones."

"I know." She whispered, touching his face with her hand, she pulled him into a hug. "But you have to lie down before you pass out."

"Mmm…" He mumbled sleepily into her shoulder.

"Here…" She said, trying to pull from his grasp, he stumbled forward into her slightly and she glared at him, forcing him to stand up straight.

"Sorry." He mumbled. He watched her lean down and straightened the couch out while holding him up with the other arm. He found that he was leaning quite heavily into her, and attempted to stand a little more on his own, finding that he just felt dizzy and sick. "Bones, I don't feel good."

"I know… I know…" She said, turning to help him to the couch. "How is your hip?"

"I think I'm ready for medicine."

"Okay… you lay here…" She said, helping him to sit down, she watched him wince as he leaned on his good hip and she helped him pull his legs onto the couch as he lay on his side, his back end supported by a pillow placed strategically placed as not to allow him to put pressure on his bad hip.

"Bonesy, you're so nice…" He mumbled, pushing his face into the pillow near his face, his eyelids fluttered closed.

"I'm just trying to do for you what you did for me when I was sick last week."

"Right." He mumbled and sighed as he felt her cover him carefully with a blanket. "At least I won't puke on you. Unless you want me to."

"Booth."

"What?" He mumbled, obviously unaware of what he had just said.

"Be quiet and rest." She replied.

"You see… see that, I wasn't snap turtlish like that… snapping turtle." He mumbled as he watched her disappear from view. "Bones?"

"I'm getting your medicine." She said, her voice sounding farther away, he could only assume she was in the kitchen.

"You trying to knock me out?" He asked, hearing the sound of her feet approaching, he looked up at her with a heavy lidded expression. She had a glass of water with a straw, and two pills.

"If I wanted to knock you out… I'd use more than a couple of pills to get the full extent of joy from that action." She smiled sweetly at him and he chuckled as he put the pills on his tongue and sipped from the glass of water, swallowing the pills down.

"Point taken." He said with a sleepy smile. "Thanks for springing me from jail." He whispered.

"You're welcome." She said, leaning forward to kiss his cheek, she felt his arm wrap around her as he pulled her into him awkwardly. "Hey, be careful…careful, I don't want to hurt you."

"It's okay, Bones." He whispered, holding her tightly against him, he could tell she was slightly confused. "It's okay to be scared sometimes."

"Shh…No, Booth." She said, not wanting to have this conversation right now, she just wanted him to settle in so she could sit down and do some work while he rested.

"It's okay to be scared, Bones. It's okay…" He said again, feeling her arms push against him, he hugged her harder. "I love you… and I was scared too."

"Booth, stop." She said, trying to pull from the hug, she felt his grip tighter on her as he kissed her head. "Booth, let me get up."

"Temperance?" He whispered, his grip starting to loosen as he felt her pushing harder.

"Booth… it's okay now, there's no reason to be afraid anymore." She whispered, feeling him let go of her all together. "Booth." She said, looking into his eyes, he raised his eyebrows, to show that he was listening. "I was scared." She whispered, watching a slight smile on his lips. "But now I'm okay."

"Do you promise?" He whispered.

"I promise." She said, running her fingers across his cheek, she watched him, watched her fingers for a moment and then forced herself to look into his eyes. "You get some sleep… and before you know it, we'll be watching some baseball on that big screen television that I got for you."

"It's a big one, kitten." He mumbled, his eyes closing slowly as he yawned and pushed into his pillow. "You're beautiful." He whispered, his last words before he was completely knocked out cold by the medicine.


	149. Whine and Cheese

By the time he opened his eyes again, it was dark outside, and the room was bathed in darkness as well. He felt groggy and out of it, but he was awake for now, and for a moment he wasn't sure where he was. "Bones?" He mumbled, looking onto the floor, and around the room, his brow furrowed as he thought of her going to the bedroom without him, but he wasn't surprised. "Bones?" He muttered again, unsure of how loud he was being. "Bones…" He whined, rolling to his side, he carefully found the floor with his knees, the pain in his side was bad, but not unbearable as he sighed. He put pressure on one foot and put himself into a standing position, his hands on the cushion of the couch as he stood up straight, cringing at the pain in his side, he sighed as he looked at the bedroom door. He swore that it was farther away than the last time he had gone in there.

He turned his head and looked at the shadow of the large television, he sighed. "What a waste…" He mumbled, shifting himself drunkenly toward the bedroom. "Bones?" He called again. "Bones, Bones, Bones!" He called, standing in the doorway, he stared into the bedroom and could see a familiar lump on 'her' side of the bed. He watched as she sat up quickly, a gasp on her lips as she stared at the hunched figure in the doorway.

"Booth?"

"No, Bones… I'm Igor… I came for your Bones…"

"I don't know what that means."

"It means help…" He said, watching her climb from the bed. "Help, faster…"

"What do you need help with?" She asked, walking over to him, she grabbed his arm and he walked toward the bed with her, resting his arms on the mattress, he looked at her. The moonlight was shining in through the window, lighting her face in just a way that he could see one of her eyes. He could see the raw concern in their depths and felt bad about being so gruff. "Do you need more medicine?"

"I need more Bones." He mumbled, watching her eyes smile.

"Do you think you'll be okay in the bed? She asked. "You're not going to roll over onto your bandages, are you?"

"Not if my arm is around you." He said sheepishly, accepting the kiss on his cheek as he watched her. "First thing is first though…"

"Hm?"

"Bathroom."

"Do you need…?"

"I can manage… thanks." He said, inserting a tone of humor in his voice so she wouldn't be offended. "But… I'll accept an arm to hold in getting there." He whispered, watching her nod as she helped him stand upright.

"You're still having trouble walking?"

"I don't want to pull the stitches." He said softly, feeling her nod against him as he shuffled across the room. He didn't really need her help, not to get across to the bathroom, but he wanted her company. When he reached the bathroom, he paused outside the doorway, leaning on the doorframe with his good hip, he pulled her arm slightly, and she came closer, her nose barely touching his. "Thank you, Bones."

"We're partners…" She said softly, leaning up to kiss his lips, he savored the touch, the taste and scent of her. "It's what we do." She whispered, watching a wry smile on his lips as he flicked the light on in the bathroom and shuffled inside, closing the door behind him.

After several minutes of fumbling, muttered curses and finally the sound of him relieving himself and the toilet flushing, the door opened and she was standing in wait. As soon as he saw her standing there, the frustrated frown on his face disappeared. "You waited for me." He said, watching her simple nod as she held her arm out to him. "You know, I do appreciate it."

"I know." She said, helping him toward the bed.

"It's the least you could do since you abandoned me earlier." He said feeling her stop halfway to the bed.

"I did not abandon you."

"You did… you left me out on the couch… all by myself with that big television."

"I am sure you were just fine." She said, leading him closer to the bed.

"Yeah, but I was all alone… what if I forgot that big television was there… I could have run into it… fallen onto my hip… torn my stitches… then where would you be, Bones?" He teased in a whiney tone.

"I guess I'd be dealing with an even whinier partner." She said, helping him sit on the bed carefully, she moved around the bed and made sure that his side of the bed was ready for him, pulling back the covers.

"Oh… oh… you haven't even heard whining yet…" He said, carefully lying down, he listened to her giggle. "You going in to work tomorrow?"

"I will if you don't need me." She replied, pulling the covers up onto him.

"Mmm…" He said, wrapping his arm around her so that he would stay on his side.

"I always need you, Bones." He said softly. "Always."

"We'll see how you feel in the morning." She whispered.

"Right." He whispered sleepily.

"Goodnight, Booth."

"I just hope that you have cable already hooked up for that big television out there…"

"I don't know what that means." She mumbled sleepily, obviously half asleep.

"Bones, you had better be joking there…" He whispered in her ear, hearing her tender giggle from beneath him.

"Goodnight, Booth." She muttered back.

"Goodnight, Bones."


	150. Metaphorically Spilling the Beans

When the alarm went off, she was grateful that the clock was on her side of the bed, so with a quick turn, she hit the snooze button and turned back to her sleeping companion. He had been quiet for the remainder of the night that he had been in the bed, and perhaps that was for the best, for she hoped that he'd sleep soundly with what little medication was left in his system despite the pain associated with the gunshot wound and surgical scar.

She felt his arm tighten around her, and his nose nuzzle down into her hair. "Are you going to leave me?" He mumbled tenderly into the mess of hair on the top of her head.

"I probably should." She whispered.

"Mm… work on your bones…" He whispered. "Bones…"

"Hm?" She said, thinking that he was trying to get her attention.

"No… just saying the word."

"Bones?" She whispered.

"Are you talking to yourself?" He asked innocently, listening to her heavy sigh he laughed, and she moved to get out of bed. "Aw, Bones… I was kidding!" He said, watching as she turned off the alarm and shook her head at him.

"I need to get up and take a shower… some of us don't get our coworkers to shoot us so that we get out of a couple days off work." She said, watching his jaw drop. "It's a shame… my own partner…" She shook her head, listening to his quiet chuckle, she looked toward him and smiled. "Do you need pain medication?"

"I think I'm okay." He replied.

"Don't suffer just to impress me with your pain threshold, Booth. If you're in pain, I want you to take the medication." She said seriously.

"I will be okay, Bones. Don't worry about me." He said, watching her lingering look as she gathered a few things before disappearing into the bathroom.

When she stepped out of the bathroom ready to go, she stopped to watch him sleep for a moment. She walked to the edge of the bed, and carefully sat right beside him, letting her hand move to his face, he didn't move as she slowly moved her hand over his cheek, letting her fingertips linger in his hair for a moment, she leaned down and gently kissed his temple. "Hey." She said softly, watching his eye open sleepily, and close again.

"Mmm…" He grumbled against the piollow.

"I'm leaving now." She whispered against his skin.

"Mmm…" He mumbled.

"I love you." She offered, his eyes opening a little wider than before, they were looking into hers. "I'll put your medication on the table next to the couch. I'll make sure there is coffee in the coffee pot, and there is a box of those donuts that you like and shouldn't eat on the counter for you to gorge yourself with.

"I don't gorge." He mumbled.

"Call me if you need anything, I'll be back around one this afternoon to check on you. I won't be at the lab this morning, I do have a couple of things to attend to before I go in, so if you need me, try my cell first." She said as she started to get up, her hand instantly grabbed by Booth.

"Where are you going this morning?" He asked.

"That's not your concern." She said with a curt smile that sent him all kinds of signals that it would probably be best if he did know where she was going.

"Bones." He said, his voice was gravely, but it was serious. "Bones, don't do something you'll regret."

"Oh, don't you worry. I don't do things that I will regret." She said, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "I gave that up a few weeks ago."

"Bones, I'm serious."

"And I am serious too." She said, staring into his eyes intensely. "Get some sleep, and don't worry about me."

"I'm always going to worry about you."

"There's nothing to worry about, Booth. I just have a couple of loose ends to deal with before I go into the lab." She smiled as she leaned down to him and kissed him again. "Call me if you need anything."

"Call me if you need me to bail you out." He said, giving her a sleepy smile before she kissed him once more. "I love you."

"I love you." She whispered as she felt his hand slip from hers, and watched him close his eyes as he rested against the pillow peacefully. She watched him for another moment, before turning and disappearing out the door.

* * *

When she finally made it into the lab that morning, she seemed a bit tousled, but walked with a confident skip in her step that did not go unnoticed by everyone. As she headed toward her office, she heard the sound of clacking heels behind her attempting to catch up to her.

"Bren…" Angela's voice seemed a bit nervous, but her friend turned and gave her a slight smile that was just begging her to ask her what was going on. "How is he doing?"

"Booth? He'll be fine." She nodded. "He's recovering at my place for the time being, and will probably be off the pain medication in a day or two." She said, walking toward her office again, she could hear Angela following her.

"So was it really bad? You didn't really give us much more details other than the fact that he was fine and that he was going to be out for the week, but you didn't give us any details." She said, following Brennan into her office.

"He'll be okay, he just needs some rest…" She nodded, giving Angela a polite smile, to which her friend excused herself.

After another moment or two, another body shadowed the doorframe of her office. "Hey Doctor B… heard about Booth… he was shot?" Hodgins asked.

"He was…" Brennan said as she turned around, she gave her friend a serious look to show that she found no humor in the situation. "He was shot in the ass by one of his partners."

"You shot him in the ass?" Hodgins asked, his voice showing a bit of excitement in it as he laughed.

"No!" Brennan explained. "No… one of the rookies he was dragging around… apparently his gun jammed and he couldn't get the safety off, and instead of just telling his partner to back up Booth, he slammed the heel of his hand into the gun but didn't realize that the reason he couldn't get the safety off was that the safety was already off… and he discharged his weapon." She said, slapping the folder onto the desk, Hodgins snatched it up and opened the folder, flipping through the pages.

"Aren't they required to pass some kind of IQ test… or… something like that?" Hodgins asked as he flipped through the report. "Doctor B.?"

"Hm?" Brennan said looking up at Hodgins as she started checking her e-mail.

"Booth was shot in the ass?"

"He was shot in the gluteus, yes." She said seriously, as Hodgins started to laugh, her hand covering the grin as his shoulders began to shake with laughter. "I don't find it that amusing, Hodgins." She said, trying to remain as serious as possible. "He could have been severely injured… the bullet could have hit his femoral artery… his spinal cord… it could have gotten lodged in his hip."

"But Doctor Brennan… None of that happened." He laughed. "He's okay, you know? It's okay to laugh! I am just laughing because I always thought you would be the first one to shoot Booth in the ass!"

"I did shoot him in the leg once." She retorted, a smile moving to her lips as the phone rang. She shook her head and laughed. "Brennan." She said in the line as Hodgins started to take a step back. "Hey Booth… how are you feeling?" Brennan smiled as Hodgins hovered for a second in the doorway. He then stepped forward and gestured toward the phone. "Can you hang on a second, Hodgins wants to talk to you." She said, hitting the button on the phone. "You're on speaker, Booth."

"Gee, thanks, Bones." He said, his voice sounding tired. "What do you need, Hodgins?"

"I just wanted to check… see how you're doing, man."

"I'm fine." Booth replied. "Thanks."

"Cool… just wanted to let you know that you're an 'asset' to the team… and I promise… no 'cracks' about your injuries."

"Very funny Hodgins…" Booth replied, and Hodgins noted the look of confusion on Brennan's face, though Booth seemed to understand what he was getting at.

"Don't worry about getting 'behind' on things around here, Booth… We won't get too 'cheeky' without you around."

"Hodgins… I'm going to shoot you the next time I see you."

"No 'buts' about it!" Hodgins laughed as he watched Brennan become even more confused.

"Hodgins!" Booth exclaimed. "Bones! Get me off speakerphone!" He exclaimed as Hodgins laughed and left the room, just as Brennan lifted up the receiver.

"Booth, why are you getting so angry with Hodgins? He was wishing you well."

"I'm sure he was… little twerp…" Booth muttered.

"Besides verbally assaulting your colleagues, did you have a reason for your call?"

"Mm… yes." He mumbled.

"And what was that reason?"

"Nevermind."

"No… come on, out with it."

"Will you get me something at the store on your way home for lunch?"

"What would you like?"

"Apple juice."

"You want apple juice?"

"Yeah."

"I will get you apple juice." She replied.

"Thank you." He said, his spirits obviously lifting.

"Have you taken your medication?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"Bones?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think you can get me some apple juice on your way here for lunch?"

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll see you at one…"

"Love you."

"Bye, Booth."

"You're not going to say it back?"

"Bye, Booth." She laughed, hanging up the phone, she shook her head and sighed, and her phone beeped a text message not ten seconds later.

**Bones… apple juice?**


	151. Judge, Judy and Executioner

Brennan opened the door to her apartment slowly, listening for a greeting or something as she lifted the bag in her arms through the door and heard the television playing softly. "Booth?" She called as she stepped all the way through the doorway, she saw a large lump on the couch and walked toward it. His eyes were closed, and he was sleeping so peacefully, and she crouched down to come face to face with him. His eyes opened slowly, and a lopsided grin rose on his lips.

"There's my little kitten." He mumbled sleepily.

"I brought you your apple juice." She said, ignoring his attempt to make her irritated.

"Ew." He grumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"I hate apple juice… it makes me sick to my stomach…" he whined.

"Booth, you asked for apple juice." She argued. "You asked for apple juice three times."

"You must be mistaken. Apple juice makes me feel like throwing up." He mumbled, letting his eyes slip closed. "Have you ever seen me drink apple juice, Bones?"

"No."

"That's cuz I hate it." He mumbled.

"Fine." She said, rolling her eyes, she carried the container of apple juice to the refrigerator and looked at the label as she put a couple other things in the refrigerator. She looked up when she heard his voice bellowing from the other side of the couch and she rolled her eyes as she walked over to the doorway. "You don't have to yell, Booth."

"I was calling you and you didn't come before…" He said, turning his head to see if he could see her. "Can you come over here so I can see you?"

"I'm making lunch, Booth. What do you want?"

"I want to tell you something, hurry, hurry, hurry!" He said, waving his arm in the air, she rolled her eyes again and walked over toward the couch.

"What?"

"I forgot." He grinned sheepishly as she shook her head and started to walk away. "No, no… wait… wait, Bones. Don't get mad with me, please?"

"You're wasting my time, Booth."

"That's because I'm wasted…" He grinned and nodded. "Bones… what's for lunch today? What's on the menu?"

"Egg salad sandwiches."

"Gross."

"Tuna salad sandwiches?"

"Ick."

"Well, what do you want?"

"Something… without the word 'salad' in it…" He grinned again, watching her huff and roll her eyes on her way to the kitchen.

She started to prepare lunch, listening to see if he was moving around she didn't hear anything and continued to make the sandwiches. She heard him shuffling into the room and looked up to see him standing awkwardly against the doorway. "I watched 'Judge Judy' today…" he said, as if it was the most important thing he had done all day.

"Really?" She asked, knowing that he wasn't at full mental strength, she tried not to take advantage of the situation, but couldn't help goad him just a little. She figured it would be good ammunition in the future when he decided to tease her about something.

"Yeah… she reminds me a lot of you." He said, walking to the counter, he leaned across it as she turned around and slid a plate with a sandwich across the counter to him, he smiled. "Thanks, Boots."

"Bones." She said, shaking her head.

"Can ya pick them out?" He asked, sliding the sandwich back, she glared at his grin and slid it back. "Come on Bones… laugh… it's a natural thing, and you look so beautiful when you do it…"

"Eat your sandwich, Booth."

"Mmm…"

"I'll take back the really big television if you don't eat your sandwich." She threatened, watching as he almost literally shoved half the sandwich into his mouth. "Stop being silly." She sighed, laughing a little, he smiled with a mouthful of sandwich. "That's disgusting…."

"So do you wanna know why Judge Judy reminds me of you?"

"Sure." She said, taking a bite of her own sandwich, she leaned on the counter like him.

"Cuz she's hot… and she's kick ass… and she… okay, she's not really hot… but she made this one lady give back this other lady the rake that the first lady stole from the second lady… and she gives attitude like nobody's business."

"The lady?"

"Judge Judy… Bones, you're not even listening!" He exclaimed, resting his forehead on the counter, he stared at the granite countertop and sighed.

"Booth, how much medication did you take?"

"Mmm…." He shrugged into the counter.

"I'm serious, Booth. You were only supposed to take one pill."

"Bones… I took one more than one more pill…"

"So you took two pills?" She asked.

"Mmmm…" He thought, looking up, his eyes on the ceiling for a moment. "I'm not sure. I didn't take six pills… and I didn't take one… so somewhere in the middle…" He laughed. "Think about that math, scientist lady!" He exclaimed.

"Are you done with your sandwich?" She asked, ignoring his statement.

"I am."

"Let's get you back to the couch." She said, walking around the counter, she took his arm carefully and tugged him, happy that he came with her willingly. She lead him through the living room to the couch and helped him onto the couch, covering him up with the blanket. "No more pills until I get home." She said, watching him nod as he closed his eyes. "Booth?"

"Mmm…?"

"I'm serious."

"You're always serious, Bones." He mumbled, his eyes closed, he didn't see the scowl on her face, but he knew that it was there. "But its okay, cuz you're cute and you would never shoot me."

"Booth… get some sleep." She whispered, leaning down to kiss him tenderly.

"You didn't tell me where you had to go this morning…"

"Well, it's not a big deal." She said softly. "Everything is fine."

"Did you shoot them?" He asked.

"I don't have a gun, Booth." She replied.

"Mmm… it's a good thing, huh?"

"Yeah." She said, leaning down to kiss his forehead, her fingers ran down his face. "It's a good thing."

"I love you, Bones."

"I love you too, baby." She whispered, watching the sweet, tender smile on his face as she kissed him one more time and stood up. She grabbed the pill bottle from the table and tucked it into her purse, before she grabbed her keys and made her way from the apartment.


	152. Teeny, Tiny, Time Jump

**Ok, so I invested in a little time jump... let's see how this works out.**

* * *

_The moment Brennan stepped into her apartment, she thought she had been transported into a war zone. It wasn't that he had left the apartment a complete wreck, there was a spot or two on the floor that didn't have a blanket or a piece of furniture that had been haphazardly knocked against or moved, and immediately she regretted bringing him to her apartment. _

_"Booth?" She called, looking around the house, she noticed the kitchen was also a mess, the dining area had a chair or two pulled out and in the way but for the most part wasn't too messy. "Booth, are you okay?" She called, walking through the apartment, she saw bandages on the ground, trailing through the living room to her bedroom, and covered her mouth in astonishment at what she found._

* * *

"I was not lying half naked on the bed!" Booth exclaimed, taking a swig of beer as he laughed, coughing a little bit at his girlfriend's insistence.

"He was wrapped like a mummy in bandages on the bed…" Brennan laughed, sending Angela and Hodgins into another roar of laughter.

"I was not wrapped like a mummy! I was putting clean bandages on and I… might have fallen asleep halfway through it." Booth defended, taking a drink of his beer.

"And when I asked him why the apartment was in shambles, he said it was because he couldn't find his pain in the ass pills."

"No, Bones… my pain in the ass pills…. I had a pain in my ass… those were my pills." He rolled his eyes and Brennan just laughed along with their two friends, Booth's cheeks turning bright red as she leaned into him and put her hands on his cheeks.

"You're blushing."

"I am not blushing." He swatted at her hands as she laughed.

"I'm just glad it's over." Brennan said, leaning into his chest a little as she faced Hodgins and Angela, her friends smiling back at her as she laughed.

"So you've been going out for almost seven months now…" Angela said, her voice suggestive as Brennan glared playfully.

"What are you implying?" Brennan asked, a bit of a squint to her glare as Booth nudged her.

"I'm not implying anything… the holidays are upon us… romance just has a way of warming us all up in this snowy white city." Angela shrugged. "Why, did you think I was implying something?" She asked, her eyes on Booth as he glared at her across the table, warning her to go no further.

"I really don't understand what you're getting at." Brennan said, glancing to Booth, whose glare quickly disappeared before she caught sight of it.

"Okay… another round of beers, then we were going to catch that movie… right?"

"Yes." Brennan said with a happy smile.

"Wait, you never told us what happened with those two agents…" Angela said with a laugh, watching Booth sit back in his chair, his arm around Brennan as he laughed. He waved the waitress over to bring them each another drink.

"Culp was sent to the Philly office, and Watts was sent packing… apparently someone had made a claim that he was incompetent, and a danger to the agents he worked with, so he went under some psych evaluation and was deemed unable to carry a firearm. I think he's a grease vat cleaner at McDonald's now."

"Booth, be nice…" Brennan said, poking him in the side, he laughed as the waitress brought them each another bottle of beer.

"Fine… Maybe it's Kentucky Fried Chicken…" Booth laughed with Hodgins and Angela.

"We're going to be having a Christmas dinner this year… at my apartment." Brennan said softly. "We were wondering if you guys would be interested." She shrugged.

"Your first Christmas together?" Angela said sweetly, as Brennan rolled her eyes.

"Booth and I have spent many Christmases together, Angela… don't be ridiculous."

"She means together… as in… no blackmail kisses, and no excuses…" He whispered into her ear as she gave him a sly glance.

"So will you guys come? We're inviting Cam and Michelle, and a few other people… but we'd like it if you guys could be there too. Booth has Parker this year, and we wanted to make it extra special for him since normally Rebecca takes him on some kind of exciting excursion to the mountains, or out of the country for some kind of exciting adventure, this year he's with us."

"Thanks, Bones." Booth said, rolling his eyes. "You make me sound like I'm forcing him to peel potatoes for Christmas…I thought I was a very fun and adventurous kind of guy."

"You are fun and adventurous… Just perhaps not as fun and adventurous as a ski trip." She shrugged.

"Sweetie…" Angela said, shaking her head, Brennan glanced to Booth, who just had a smirk on his face as he sipped his beer. "Quit while you're ahead."

"Okay." She said softly, sipping from her own beer, she glanced back to Angela and then settled back in her chair as the four of them shared a companionable silence.


	153. She Knows When You've Been Bad or Good

Brennan trailed behind Angela about four or five steps, her arms full of bags, just as Angela's were, though her feet were beginning to feel sore. She laughed to herself about how she could spend days, almost literally standing at a dig site, or over a forensics table, but four hours of shopping with Angela was exhausting.

"What are you grinning at?" Angela asked, having stopped for a moment to allow her friend to catch up.

"Nothing… I'm just thinking of how exhausting Christmas shopping is." She said quickly, noticing the tilt in Angela's head was one of disbelief. "I was." She shrugged, catching up to her friend. "Please tell me that we're almost done."

"We're almost done." Angela replied. "Here… you sit here with the bags, and I'll go into this one store… I'll be about ten minutes." She said, pointing toward a shop a little ways down the hallway, Brennan nodded her head. She turned and sat down, watching her friend disappear into the store, and pulled out her phone, knowing full well that when Angela walked into a store and said 'ten minutes', it could mean a half hour at the least.

So she opened her phone and typed in a quick text message.

_Boys still shopping?_

It didn't take but a minute for his reply, and she smiled when the little tune sounded from the device in her hand.

**Still? We just started.**

_Do not make a comment about women, you practically live with one._

**Perhaps I should do something about that**

She laughed, shaking her head at the text, thinking for sure that he was just teasing her again about moving in. They had toyed with the idea here and there, but neither had come to a full conclusion, and each was unwilling to give up their place, simply out of stubbornness. She was laughing to herself, sitting on the bench as the crowds of people walked around her, when she thought she heard a familiar voice, or laugh at least. She looked up to see his familiar gait walking along a row of shops on the other side of the bench, and she noticed that his eyes were on his phone.

_Who are you with?_

**Parker**

She took a further glance as he continued walking, noting that Parker wasn't with him at all, and though she wanted to question him, to catch him in this lie, she thought back to the conversation that they had years earlier on Christmas. He said that he would lie to Parker at Christmas, to preserve his innocence, to save the reveal of a great surprise. So she watched him continue to walk, glancing into each store for a fleeting moment, before his eyes moved back to the phone.

_So you're not shopping for him?_

**No. Not shopping for Parker. Someone else is on my list.**

_Your grandfather?_

**No, someone cuter than Pops.**

She was watching him as he walked farther from her, and when he saw the store that he turned into, she could feel her cheeks warm, and her heart quicken.

_Well, whatever you buy for her, do you think it would be appropriate to have Parker with you?_

She had to tease him, try to pull the answers from him, but she found herself standing with the bags. She nearly called him, just to get him out of that store, and after a moment, she realized that she was being called. Angela was stepping toward her from the store, another three bags in her arms. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Angela could see that her friend looked completely dumbfounded, her face a bit pale, and she was staring off into nothing as she approached. After a moment, she shook her head and looked to Angela. "I'm fine, sorry… I'm fine, I just thought I saw someone that I recognized. I was trying to place them in my mind, but then they turned around, it wasn't anyone." She glanced at her phone and sighed.

**Parker approves.**

"Are you ready to get going? I'm sure you really want to get out of here…"

"Yes." She said, grabbing the bags tighter, she started leading Angela down the hallway.

"Sweetie, the car is this way."

"I just have one more store to look at something for someone… something for Parker." She said quickly, getting the 'three headed Brennan' expression. She followed regardless, and Brennan moved as quickly as she could away from the jewelry store that had swallowed her lying, Christmas surprise loving boyfriend.


	154. Stranger, Then Friction

**So... this morning... this story was headed in one direction... and then it took a complete 180 and is going in a different direction... I thought this update had some very intense tones that I was interested in exploring, and I would really appreciate any comments you have it. Don't worry... I haven't forgotten the spirit of the season...**

**This update is dedicated to my twitter/gtalk/email/ideabouncer pal Doctorsuez... Always a pleasure to talk to, and you know... since she survived the weekend and all, she deserves a little bit of love. She's been supportive and helpful, and has yet to tell me that an idea of mine is bad... she'll learn... one of these days, she'll learn. Well... here's the chapter... lol.**

* * *

Brennan pulled her car up in front of Booth's apartment and kept the car running as she waited for him to show up. She looked through a magazine that Angela had left in the car and glanced up with curiosity each time she saw a car pass, the lights flashing in on her as she sighed, and glanced at the clock. Booth was about ten minutes late, and her stomach was beginning to protest its empty state, and she regretted not taking up Angela on the offer of a Danish and coffee after shopping. Tired of sitting in the car, she decided to head into the apartment to stay warm, since they were going to be taking the SUV to the diner anyway. Christmas Eve was in four days, and the snow was falling lightly, but she was fairly sure that there wasn't a call for more than flurries through the night.

She grabbed a bag or two that she knew would be okay for Booth or Parker to see, gifts for her father and brother, and one for Angela she was able to get when she was shopping alone, and she tugged the packages along with her as she climbed from the car. She was just closing the door when she heard the sound of feet crunching on the ground behind her. She turned around quickly, just as a man approached, bundled in a heavy winter coat. "Excuse me." He said, keeping a slight distance, he looked her in the eyes as she took a wary step toward the curb and the building. She tightened her grip on the bags in her hands, and listened to the sound of another car coming down the road, she remained aware of her surroundings and paused.

"Can I help you?" She asked warily, taking a step toward the light of the building, she got a better look at the man and couldn't help but think that he looked slightly familiar to her. "Is there something you need?"

"Yes… I was looking for my nephew's apartment. I'm not familiar with this area, and I know he lives in one of the buildings down this block."

"Well, this isn't my neighborhood either… do you have an address?" She asked, sensing that the man truly was lost, she didn't feel quite so protective of herself, she approached him as he held out a sheet of paper, and she reached for it, pulling it into her hand. She immediately recognized the number on the paper, and the name above it. "Seeley Booth?" She asked.

"Yes, that's my nephew, do you know him? I have some news to give him… about his father." He said, looking her directly in the eyes, she could now see the resemblance, his eyes were dark like Booth's, and he had a similar facial structure, the strong jaw and broad shoulders. She could clearly see the resemblance now, even in the dull glow of the street lamp. She was about to speak, when she heard feet stomping up behind her, instantly recognizing the steps, she turned, almost directly into Booth's chest.

"Bones, what the hell are you doing?" He asked gruffly, pulling her behind him, she pushed against his arm.

"Booth, your uncle is…"

"Seeley." The man said, holding his hand out to Booth, Booth pushed Brennan back against her protests.

"Bones, go sit with Parker in the car."

"Booth, I don't understand."

"Bones, don't ask questions, just go sit in the car." He said, swatting at the man's outstretched hand. His eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked angrily.

"Booth?"

"Bones!" He exclaimed, turning, he grabbed her by her shoulders, and her eyes widened in surprise by the sheer strength he put in his hold, the intensity in his eyes. "Go sit in the car with Parker. Sit with Parker, for me, please?" He said, his eyes were pleading with her, and the man stood, almost embarrassed behind them.

"It's okay, Seeley… she was just helping me…" He said, touching Booth's shoulder, Booth turned and immediately pushed Brennan behind him.

"Don't you fucking dare touch me!" He exclaimed with sheer and complete rage, Brennan took a step back at the sound of his voice, and she immediately noticed how he nonchalantly adjusted his jacket, making the gun in its holster very visible to the man in front of him. "Don't you fucking dare touch me again…" He said, staring at the man. "Now Temperance, go sit in the fucking car, please!" He said without looking at her, the pause that she gave him was short, but she obliged, trusting his judgment, she stepped toward the running SUV, where the young boy was sitting patiently within, watching the altercation outside.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Booth asked, hearing the sound of the SUV door closing behind Brennan. "Get off my property."

"Seeley, I need to talk to you."

"No." Booth replied, shaking his head. "No, you don't get to talk to me… you had your chance to talk to me, you ruined that chance! You lost your chance!" He exclaimed angrily, taking a step toward the man, he screamed in his face.

"Seeley, please." He said, holding his hands out, he tried not to touch Booth's chest, but he stepped right into the older man's hands. "Please just hear me out."

"Absolutely not! Absolutely not! Get the hell out of here!" He exclaimed, waving his arm. "Get the hell out of here, and if I ever see you again, I swear to God, I will…"

"Seeley, please… Let me talk to your wife then… will she listen to me? She's your wife, right?"

"You know what? You know what? You don't get to know who she is, okay? She's nobody to you! So forget you met her! Forget you saw me! And get the hell out of my life, again! And this time, stay out of it!" He exclaimed, turning sharply, he stomped toward the car. He climbed into the SUV to two wide eyed passengers, who were absolutely speechless. The man still stood on the sidewalk, looking out at the SUV, and Booth sat in the driver's seat trying to catch his breath.

"Booth, are you okay?" Brennan asked, touching his shoulder, she noticed his breathing was labored, and she couldn't tell if he was trying to catch his breath, or trying not to get emotional. "Booth, look at me, please? Who is that man? He said he's your uncle… I can see from his facial structure that he's related to you, Booth, he said…"

"Listen." Booth said suddenly, startling her a bit, she sat back in her seat, as Booth turned to face his son, who hadn't said a word through the entire thing. His eyes were wide with fear. "Look at me, Parker." He said, his eyes narrowing as he reached back and tugged his son's jacket a bit. "Look me right in the eye, are you looking at me? Are you paying attention?" He asked, as the little boy shook his head without another word. "You see that man over there?" He said, pointing out the window where the man still stood. "Do you see him? Nod your head if you saw him… did you get a real good look at him?" Booth asked, watching his son nod. "If I ever… ever catch you talking to that man… ever… Parker… I swear to God, you will be grounded for the rest of your life, do you understand?"

"Booth?" Brennan said as she watched his hand tremble a little, as he tugged his son's jacket a little more. "Booth, stop."

"Do you understand, Parker? Tell me you understand."

"I understand." Parker whispered, his lip trembling a little as he looked absolutely terrified.

"Booth, let go of him. Booth?" She said, tugging his hand, he let go of Parker's jacket and pulled his hand back, feeling it trembling as he sat back in his seat. "Are you okay to drive?" She whispered, watching him stare out the window, he took a slow, deep breath. "We don't have to go to the diner, it's okay…"

"No." Booth growled under his breath. "We are going to dinner together… I will not give that man an opportunity to ruin my family again." He said, and with that, he pulled the SUV into drive and pulled away from the curb smoothly, stepping his foot on the gas as he drove away from his apartment, and away from the man who stood on the sidewalk, watching the taillights disappear into the darkness.


	155. Awkward, Very Awkward

His hands were trembling violently as he drove about three blocks before needing to pull over. He stopped the car and refused to glance at her. He refused to look back at his son, he simply stopped the car and turned to climb from the front seat. Brennan quickly shifted to the driver's seat without saying a word, and watched as he gave the SUV a good, solid kick of frustration.

"Is Dad okay?" Parker whispered.

"He'll be okay, Parker." She whispered back as Booth let out a frustrated growl and kicked the car again. "He just needs to express his anger, and he doesn't want us to get in the middle of it." She replied, glancing back at the little boy as he nodded his head.

"Why is he so mad?" Parker whispered.

"I'm not sure… don't worry, we'll figure it out." She said, giving the little boy a wink and a reassuring smile, he smiled back at her as the door swung open and Booth climbed inside, breathing heavily. He sat in his seat and stared out the window, as he slammed the car door closed. "Are you done?" She asked, watching him nod his head, he breathed deeply.

"Yes." He said softly, sniffling as he continued to catch his breath. "I'm done for now…" He said, catching her eye, he noted the softness in them, the concern. He nodded his head for a bit of emphasis that he was okay, and with that, she pulled the car into drive and headed down the road toward the diner.

She pulled the car up to the diner, and Parker quickly climbed from the seat and instantly made his way to Brennan's side as she put her arm around his shoulder and walked with him toward the front door of the diner. Booth was a little behind them, reaching around Brennan to open the door for her, she looked up at him with a surprised glance and he gave her a supportive smile. "Thank you." She said softly as he ushered them into the diner. Parker went ahead to their table and slipped into his chair quickly, as Brennan sat beside Parker, and Booth sat across from both of them.

They were fairly quiet as the waitress walked over and took their orders, and even she noticed that they were being oddly quiet and disappeared quickly behind the counter to get their orders put in. Booth watched Brennan and Parker avoid eye contact for the most part, neither one of them looking Booth directly in the eye, until finally he spoke up. "So did you get a lot of shopping done?" Booth asked, watching her eyes lift to his, she appeared curious.

"Shopping? Christmas shopping, yeah." She smiled. "I think I'm just about done."

"Did you get me anything?" Parker asked.

"Parker, that's not polite." Booth scolded with a bit of a scowl, he watched Brennan's eyes light up a bit.

"Of course I got you plenty of gifts… both of you." She said, looking to Booth, who appeared to be happy with his son's excitement about the holiday. "Did you do much shopping today?"

"I got a thing or two." He said, shrugging, a smug grin replacing that lost look that was on his face moments before. "Maybe they're for you… maybe they're not."

"Maybe it's for me!" Parker exclaimed.

"You? You're not getting anything from me for Christmas… you were naughty." He cleared his throat and nodded toward Brennan, who watched him curiously.

"The football thing was totally your fault, Dad."

"Now you're blaming your innocent father for things? You're getting negative gifts!" he said, watching Parker shake his head and laugh.

"No, no! It was so your fault, Dad! You threw the football to me without telling me to watch!"

"Wait a minute… Is this how my blue lamp was broken last month?" Brennan asked as both Parker and Booth closed their mouths and pantomimed locking their lips with a key and tossing it away. She shook her head in disbelief as she watched the two of them. "I need more friends…" She said as Booth grabbed her hands before she could pull away, and Parker leaned over and started to tickle her. "See! See what I mean!" She said, squirming from the two boys. "You are so mean." She said, pulling her hands from Booth's, she started tickling Parker, who giggled madly at Brennan until their plates of dinner came, and as soon as they were put down, Brennan reached and took a small handful of fries from each of the boys' plate.

"Hey!" They both exclaimed as she put the fries on her plate.

"Payment… for the blue lamp… its both of your faults!" She exclaimed as the two of them rolled their eyes and exchanged a look as they began to eat their dinner.

The three of them were seemingly back to normal, though Brennan watched Booth's hand shake a bit in anxiety as they ate. "Hey." She said, watching his eyes lift to hers, she watched his eyebrows rise. "You guys can stay at my place tonight if you want." She shrugged. He stared at her for a moment, as if he didn't know what she was talking about. "Booth?"

"No… I mean… it doesn't matter to me… I'm not avoiding anything. I don't need to avoid anything." He said, obviously agitated by the introduction of these thoughts once again.

"Dad, we can stay at Bones' place…" Parker shrugged. "I'm cool with that."

"Well, I'm not cool with it." Booth said sharply. "I mean…"

"Hey." Brennan said, reaching across for his hand. "Just slow down."

"He just has no right." Booth said, his teeth gritted as he spoke. He dropped the fry in his hand against his plate. "I'm not even hungry anymore."

"Booth… I don't understand. What did your uncle do to upset you so much?" She whispered, watching Booth look at her for a moment.

"No Bones, you're right… you don't understand." He said, watching her obvious confusion. "I don't have an uncle."

"But the man at your apartment said…"

"That was my father, Bones." He said, standing up. "I'll be right back… you guys get dessert or something. I'm not feeling well." He said, touching her cheek tenderly as he leaned down to kiss her lips softly. He gave her a very weak smile before he left, walking toward the back of the diner as Parker and Brennan watched him disappear through the door to the restroom.


	156. Fortunes of War

For a split second, Brennan thought of following him into the bathroom. He had gone in so quickly, and left her and Parker alone to finish their meals. She thought better of it, knowing that he had gone to get some privacy, some quiet, some alone time. He'd come to her when he was ready, he'd seek her out when he needed comfort. She glanced beside her and noted that Parker was no longer eating. He was poking at his burger with a French fry, his face looking sad and unsure. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah." He shrugged.

"Are you worried about your dad?" She asked, watching Parker shrug first, then nod. "I thought about going into the men's room after him. I bet he wouldn't like that." She said, watching a smile lift on Parker's lips.

"No." Parker laughed a little. "Probably not."

"We'll talk to him when he's ready. It's just best to give him a little time, okay?"

"Yeah." Parker nodded.

"Christmas is your dad's favorite holiday," she said with a smile. "I'm not going to let this ruin it for him." She said, touching the boy's head, she ran her fingers through his curls for a moment as he smiled up at her.

"Dad said that this is the first year ever that he felt like he had a real family for Christmas." Parker said, shoving his last fry into his mouth, he watched Brennan's eyes widen slightly. "Cuz you're here, and I'm here too… he said it feels like a real Christmas."

She watched the boy's innocent eyes, and the sad smile on his face and glanced toward the restrooms, and back to the little boy. She nodded and raised her eyebrows seriously. "It is a real Christmas." She said, standing up. "Stay here… I'll be right back…" She said, as Parker nodded, watching her walk toward the hallway where the restrooms were located.

As soon as she neared the men's room, the door opened, and Booth stepped out. He had a paper towel to his face, obviously drying wetness from washing it in the bathroom sink. His eyes widened when he saw Brennan stepping toward the door. "Bones, what are you doing? Where's Parker?" He said, looking around her, he could see Parker at the table, playing with a couple of French fries off Brennan's plate before eating them.

"Parker is fine." She said, grabbing his shirt, she tugged a bit so that he was just a breath away from her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay." He whispered back. "Were you coming to look for me?"

"I just wanted to make sure that you were alright." She said, touching his face with her fingertips, there was never any such thing as personal space in the past, and now that their relationship had surpassed the intimate stage, even the idea of personal space appeared to be non existent.

"I'm fine, Bones… I'm okay." He said, taking a half step back.

"You were really upset. You were trembling." She whispered, touching his hand, she felt his normally warm hands were cold, and his eyes weren't holding that sparkle that they had earlier that day. "You're still upset."

"Maybe we should just… maybe we should go home now." He said, watching her nod her head. "I'll bring you to my place, since that's where your car is, and we can part ways there." He nodded.

"Booth."

"I just need some time to think, Bones. I don't know why he was here, and I don't… really want to think about it."

"We were going to decorate the tree tonight." She said, watching his eyes, flicker to Parker and back to her, he shrugged.

"There is still time, maybe tomorrow afternoon. It is supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow, and since we took today through New Years off, we don't have to worry about a case, we'll just be together, okay?" He paused. "Just not tonight." He said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Booth."

"Not tonight, Bones." He said, sensing the pushing in her voice, she watched as his eyes avoided hers again.

Suddenly she was at a loss. She didn't know whether to push or step back, and the longer they stood there, the more awkward she felt. She could feel her stomach twisting in anxiety as she felt him push past her a bit, squeezing her hand one more time before releasing it and walking around her, he kept his eyes to the ground as he walked toward the table and Parker. She watched Parker look up at him as he said something to the boy, his head nodded, and both of them glanced back at Brennan, before Booth turned toward the counter to pay for their dinner.

She knew some truths about his father, and some of the stories were horrible, but she also knew that there was a lot that he hadn't told her. She remembered what Hank had told her, what Booth had allowed to slip past his lips, the story he told her during that thunder and lightning storm earlier in their intimate relationship. She watched his eyes look up and meet hers for a moment, and she immediately stepped forward to Parker, crouching beside him, the boy looked to her curiously, though his eyes held a bit of sadness. "Dad says we're not decorating the tree tonight." He sighed.

"Yeah, that's what he told me… are you okay with that?"

"I dunno." Parker shrugged. "He said we can do it tomorrow."

"Would it make you feel better if I brought over ingredients for apple cinnamon pancakes tomorrow? We can decorate and have pancakes… and hot chocolate?" She asked, knowing one route to a Booth's heart was through the stomach. The boy's eyes lit up and he smiled, a bit of a sly smile, she knew that there was something behind it.

"Can I get an early Christmas gift?" He asked, laughing at the smile she gave him.

"You see that, now you're pushing it." She said, holding her fist to him, she smiled. "So pancakes tomorrow?"

"Yeah." He said, bumping knuckles with her as she stood up and put her hand on his back, leading him from the chair and toward Booth, who watched the exchange between his two favorite people.

"What are you two up to?" He asked, handing over the money for their dinner, he watched Parker look up at Brennan.

"Nothing." The two of them said, shrugging, as he shook his head and finished the transaction at the register as he followed the two of them out of the diner and they made their way to the car.

* * *

The car ride was filled with silence, and though it wasn't awkward, it was silence just the same, which in turn was always awkward when it came to Booth and Brennan. She pulled the SUV up to the front of the building, noting that his eyes were scanning the vicinity for the presence of another person, and when he was satisfied that it was clear, he released a deep sigh. "So…" He sighed, glancing to her. "We'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll be over in the morning."

"Bones is making us pancakes, Dad." Parker blurted out, grinning when Brennan gave him a glance in the rear view mirror. "It wasn't a secret, was it?"

"A little late for that now, isn't it?" She asked as the little boy giggled. "Pancakes tomorrow morning… you better be up and ready for them, because I have a feeling you're going to have to wrestle them away from Parker."

"I'm bigger than he is… I think I can manage." Booth teased, looking back at his son, who was still giggling. "Just take the truck." He said, nodding at the steering wheel. "It has snowed since we left for dinner… and your car sucks in the snow… truck is already warmed up for you." He said, leaning in for a kiss, he dropped one on her lips and she watched his eyes dart from hers as he pulled away.

"Booth." She said, touching his hand, he shook his head.

"I'll be fine." He said. "Ready to go, Park?" He asked as he kissed her again quickly.

"Yeah." He said swinging the back door open, he jumped from the SUV. "See you tomorrow, Bones."

"See you tomorrow, Parker…" She said, watching them climb from the car, they waved and started for the door of the apartment. She watched his gait, the slow pace of his feet, and the way his hand almost touched his son's shoulder as he approached the door, her heart breaking for him. She noticed that he didn't hear the truck turn off, or her feet hitting the ground as she closed the door behind her, as she climbed to the ground.

Just as he opened the door, he felt the impact. It was like a slap in the back of the head, though it was wet and cold, as the water dripped down his neck, he stopped immediately. "What the…" He turned, and was immediately pelted with another ball of wet snow, this time, squarely in his chest. His jaw dropped. "Bones, what the hell are you doing?" He asked, watching his girlfriend and partner as she rolled up another ball of snow, her eyebrows raised.

"I'm not ready to go home." She said, swinging her hand, the snowball went flying toward him, and missed, hitting Parker on the shoulder.

"Oh, you did not just do that!" He exclaimed, watching the shock on her face as Parker started to laugh.

"I have impeccable aim!" She exclaimed, grabbing another ball of snow as she hid behind the truck.

"Yeah? Well there are two of us!" Booth exclaimed as he grabbed a handful of snow off the railing by the door, he walked around the truck, and noticed that Brennan was no longer there. "Get back here…"

"No way!" She exclaimed, running around the truck, she grabbed Parker and put him in front of her as he laughed.

"That's not fair! You cannot use my son as a human shield!" He exclaimed watching her grab a scoopful of snow off the railing, Parker continued to laugh as his father and Brennan had a standoff in the middle of the sidewalk, each holding a ball of snow in their hand, each with a sly grin on their face.

"What's wrong, you don't think you can hit me?" She asked, challenging him, she took a step back and started to slip on a patch of ice.

"Hey hey… be careful…" Booth said, lunging forward to help her, she whipped the snowball in her hand toward him, hitting him squarely in the face as she fell backwards, catching herself against the snow bank, Parker in her arms as she started to laugh, and they slid to the icy sidewalk.

"Bones!" He exclaimed, though not in fear of her hurting herself from falling, but in faux irritation of her 'impeccable aim'. He ran to her aid as Parker lay atop her laughing hysterically, his giggles filling the nighttime air as Brennan groaned from beneath the boy, trying to hold her laughter in. Booth stood above her, wiping the snow off his face as she burst into a cascade of laughter along with the boy. "Are you okay?" He asked from above her.

"Yes!" She laughed, still holding tightly to the little boy, she felt the sprinkles of snow that Booth dropped on her as she lay there laughing. "Stop, you're getting me all wet!"

"Serves you right!" he said, reaching down to pull his son from atop her, the little boy was still amid a wave of hysterical laughter, he held his hand out to her as he laughed, pulling her from the ground, she stood and crashed into his chest, wrapping her arms around him instantly as he laughed against her hair. "Look at you… now you're soaking wet…" He said, kissing her hair as he hugged her.

"Guess she's gonna have to come inside and dry off, huh Dad?" Parker said with a laugh, and a sly grin that his father shook his head at and laughed.

"Yep…" Booth said, looking down at the tears of laughter on her face, and the way her eyes sparkled in the light of the street lights. He kissed her cold, rosy cheek and rested his head on her forehead for a moment. "I guess she's going to have to come in and dry off." He said, shaking his head as he listened to her laugh a little more, shaking his head at her knowing smile as he pulled her in for one more hug before all three of them made for the warmth of the apartment together.


	157. What Are You Waiting For? Christmas?

Once they made it to the top of the stairs, Booth wrapped his arms around Brennan and reached around her to unlock the door, his lips on her cheek as she pulled away from him slightly. "That tickles." She said, pushing from him as Parker turned the doorknob, and the three of them muscled their way through the door. Parker stepped in first, seeing a sheet of paper on the floor that had obviously been slipped under the door, he picked it up.

"What's that?" Booth asked, watching Parker turn the paper over in his hands, he immediately saw the handwriting and pulled it from his son's hand. He didn't even look at it, just crumpled it up and tossed it aside. "No time for that." He said, stepping in the door with his arms still wrapped around Brennan, he kissed her cheek again. "You…" He said in her ear. "Get into my room and change into some dry clothes…"

"What about me?" Parker asked, glancing to the tree that he and his father had set up earlier in the day to warm and let the branches settle before they decorated, he looked back to his father.

"You go put some pajamas on… and I'm going to get the decorations out of the closet…" He said, watching his son grin and take off for his bedroom. She turned around in his embrace, still having said nothing since before they opened the door, she grabbed the lapel of his jacket and pulled him down so they were standing nose to nose. "I'm okay." He said, watching her eyes search his for an answer.

"You promise?"

"I will not lie to you." He replied. "I'm okay right now… now go get changed, before I change my mind and send you home again."

"I won't leave without a fight." She replied, kissing him softly on his lips, she let her fingertips curl into the hair on the back of his neck, her fingernail lightly raking his skin, he shivered as she pulled from the kiss, her eyes meeting his, she dropped a quick peck on his lips, and turned, hearing him groan as she stepped away from him and made her way down the hallway toward his bedroom.

Booth walked to the hall closet and opened the doors, reaching up to the top shelf, he began pulling boxes down, three in total, he couldn't even remember what was in each of them, but when he turned around, he was greeted by a grinning boy, waiting to help. "Here." Booth said, handing a box to Parker. He knew it wouldn't be too heavy for the boy, and though he could hardly see above it, Booth knew that he'd be more than willing to try to lug it into the other room. "And don't drop it… it has glass ornaments in it. Got it?"

"Got it." Parker said, turning slowly, he walked down the hallway toward the living room.

When Booth turned again, he was greeted by a smiling forensic anthropologist, who looked quite comfortable in a pair of his sweatpants and one of his favorite t-shirts, not to mention the pair of striped socks she stole to finish off her ensemble. "Hot." He said, raising his eyebrows at her, she shook her head at him.

"You need help." She said, pretending to sound irritated, but the sparkle in her eyes told him a different story. "With the boxes too...?" She grinned.

"Look at that, Bones is a comedian." He laughed. "Sure… you grab that box… and I'll get the third one…" He said, standing up, he watched her reach for the larger of the two boxes, and he lifted it before she could get it. "I'll get that one… show off." He said, watching her smile as she rolled her eyes and grabbed the other box, sending her elbow into him lightly as she passed him in the hallway in their playful foot race toward the tree in the living room.

"Oh will you two cut it out already?" Parker said as he watched them laugh as they put the boxes down, he flopped backwards onto the couch rolling his eyes.

"Quit your griping…" Booth rolled his eyes and laughed as Parker laughed and sat up.

"What do we do first?" Brennan asked, looking between the two boys, Parker smiled.

"Are you kidding, Bones?" Parker asked, watching the genuinely unsure look on her face. "Haven't you ever decorated a Christmas tree before?"

"Park." Booth said sternly, Parker's cheeks turned a bit red as he watched Brennan blush.

"It has been quite a long time since I've decorated a Christmas tree, Parker." She said with a sad smile. "I don't... really even have any decorations." She shrugged. "Typically, I'm out of the country for the holidays, so…"

"Bones, you don't have to explain to him… he's just being nosy…"

"It's okay." She said, though her voice was kind of far away for a moment, she smiled. "It doesn't matter what I know anyway, because this is our tree, right? We can decorate it however we want to, right?" She said, looking to Booth for affirmation, he seemed to have a surprised look on his face, and smiled proudly. "What?"

"Nothing, Bones." He said, his voice full of pride as he opened the first box. "First thing is first… lights!" He said, as Parker jumped from the couch to help, and Brennan joined in as well, and the Christmas decorating officially began.

* * *

Once the lights were hanging on the tree, the decorating began, and there was laughter and happiness that filled the entire apartment, from Booth wrapping Parker in garland, to Brennan lifting Parker to put an ornament on the highest branch he could reach, they pushed all of their worries to the back of their minds and simply had a good time. Booth had disappeared into the kitchen just as Parker and Brennan were putting the finishing touches on the tree, the only thing missing was the star at the top.

Booth walked in from the kitchen carrying a tray with three mugs, each one with a candy cane poking from them, and Parker's eye lit up. "Hot chocolate!" He exclaimed, practically tackling his father, he plopped down on the couch and held his hands out.

"Booth, it's nearly eleven… do you really thing that giving chocolate to a child is a good idea?"

"Bones, its tradition… the tree is finished, we get peppermint hot chocolate… you can't mess with tradition. Besides, Parker will be fine…"

"I wasn't really thinking of Parker." She said, smiling sweetly as she took the mug from the tray, grinning now at his faux scowl. She lifted the mug to her lips.

"Hang on…" He said, and she looked to see that Parker hadn't sipped his hot chocolate yet, he took his mug and held it up.

"Oh, I want to do the toast, Daddy." Parker said, holding his mug up.

"Okay, go ahead."

"To the best Christmas ever!"

"Wow… best Christmas ever…" Brennan said, raising her eyebrows as she clinked her mug with Booth and Parker, and they all took a sip. "Why the best Christmas ever, Parker?"

"Because I get to spend it with you and dad, at home… instead of some stupid ski lodge with no television, one of mom's stupid boyfriends, and crappy food." Parker said, watching Booth give him a scowl. "Sorry… gross food."

"That's better..." Booth said, giving his son a scrutinizing glare that made the boy smile as he sat on the couch next to him, glancing over at Brennan as she sit in the recliner beside the couch, they all slipped into a comfortable silence. "Still haven't put the star on the tree yet." Booth said, looking up at the bare tree top, he glanced to his son. "You want to put it up?"

"I think Bones should do it." Parker said, sipping his hot chocolate. "She said she hasn't decorated a tree in a long time, and this is her first Christmas with us, so she should do it."

"All very valid arguments." Booth said, raising his eyebrows. "Bones?"

"I don't know…" She said, looking at the top of the tree.

"It's settled! Bones is putting the star up…" Parker exclaimed, jumping from the couch, he put his mug on the table next to the couch and grabbed the peppermint stick from it, shoving it into his mouth, he ran around the couch to the box containing the star, and pulled it out, holding it out in front of him. "Come on, Bones…" He exclaimed around the peppermint stick, watching as Booth pulled the ladder to the tree.

"You guys are really…"

"Come on, Bones…" Booth said, watching the brilliant smile on her face as she put her mug down and stood up, Parker walked around and handed the star over. Booth held his hand out to her to help her up the ladder if she needed it, and she gave him a playful scowl.

"I can climb the ladder myself, thank you." She said stubbornly, lifting the sparkling star to the top of the tree, she held it in her hands and looked closely at it. It was a beautiful ornament, one surely that had been in their family for a very long time, and silently she thought to herself that of all of the ornaments, this had the most feminine touch of all of them, which seemed a bit odd to her.

"What are you waiting for, Bones? Christmas?" Booth said sarcastically as Parker began to laugh, and Brennan gave him an irritated glare followed by a smile.

"I was just admiring it."

"Well quit admiring it, and put it on top of the tree, already… we want to turn the lights on before next Christmas!" Booth teased as she sighed, putting the star on the top branch, she made sure to secure it tightly, as both boys made her jump with their exclamation of happiness, and once the star was on the tree, Booth reached up and pulled her from the ladder, forcing her to emit a squeak of surprise as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her from behind, setting her to the ground, he nuzzled her neck and felt her struggling in his arms, giggling.

"I'm going to elbow you if you don't cut it out…" She laughed as Parker pulled the ladder away, and ran for the light switch, he flipped it off, and they were bathed in darkness.

"No you won't…" He growled into her neck as she laughed.

"Ready?" Parker exclaimed.

"Ready." Brennan and Booth said together.

"One! Two!" Parker exclaimed.

"Three!" They all exclaimed as Parker flipped the switch for the outlet the tree was plugged into, and they were instantly bathed in the light of the tree, hundreds of colors reflecting on their faces and the walls, glowing brightly.

"What do you think?" He asked, his eyes directed at her as he watched the look of wonder in her eyes.

"It's beautiful." She whispered, her eyes bright and happy, her smile lighting his heart, as she turned to see that he hadn't even glanced at the tree yet, he was so busy admiring her reaction.

"That's exactly what I was thinking." He said, leaning in to kiss her cheek, before resting his chin on her shoulder, as the three of them admired their handiwork together.


	158. Knowing What You Know

Despite the infusion of chocolate at such a late hour, Parker had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the Christmas tree, staring up at the lights admiring their handiwork. Brennan and Booth had settled on opposite ends of the couch, and he could sense her eyes on him. "Stop wondering." He said, turning his eyes on her, she tilted her head. "It's not a big deal."

"It is a big deal." She replied.

"Well… I don't care about it." He said, turning his eyes away from her.

"You do care about it, or else you wouldn't have brought it up." She said, knowingly. "You have to face it. You're going to have to face him."

"I don't have to do anything that I don't want to do, Bones." He said stubbornly, his jaw set.

"But you'll do what you need." She said. He turned his head and faced her. His eyes were determined and dark. "And I know you, Booth. You need to know what he wanted. You need to know why he was here."

"What I need… Bones." He said as he stood up and stretched, he watched her pull the blanket from behind the couch and unfold it, walking toward his sleeping son. "What I need, is for you to drop it." He said.

She knelt down and carefully covered Parker with the blanket, and the boy rolled lazily to his side, still sound asleep. She leaned down and tenderly kissed his head, standing up almost directly into Booth's chest. He wrapped his arms around her instantly, hugging her close to his chest, she felt a slight rush of air leave her lungs as his grip tightened a bit, and loosened. "Thank you." He whispered.

"For what?" She asked, her head resting on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"For knowing me." He said, turning his head, he left a kiss on her cheek, and held her close for a few more minutes, before they made their way to the bedroom together.

* * *

They hadn't been sleeping for very long, when Brennan heard a soft whimper from beside her. It wasn't a violent dream or vivid dream, just a sound of discomfort, and a slight twitch in his features was enough to rouse her from her rest. She watched him for a moment, his face relaxed, but for the furrow in his brow, his foot was moving slightly back and forth between the sheets. She rolled onto her other side, and inched her way across the mattress, so that she was lying against him with her back to him, and after a tender push into him, his arm wrapped securely around her. She tried her best to be subtle, hoping that he wouldn't wake fully, but would feel her body against him and know that he was comforted, and it didn't take but a moment before his nose was pressed into her hair, and his hot breath was tickling her skin.

"How do you always know?" Came his mumbled whisper.

"I get worried when you stop snoring." She whispered, hearing his easy laugh into her neck.

"Not nice." He replied.

"Are you okay?" She asked, her voice now sincere and tender.

"I don't think so." He said honestly, pulling her closer.

"Were you having a bad dream?"

"I don't remember."

"What do you remember?" She asked.

"I remember that one day he was here, and the next he wasn't."

"What else?"

"I remember the pain and the need to protect. I remember his footsteps, the sting from the belt."

"What else?"

"He wasn't a bad father." Booth whispered. "He was a bad drunk."

"I still hate him for what he did to you." Brennan whispered. "I wish I could take away that pain."

"You do."

"Booth?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

"I know."

"I know that you know. I just needed to say it." They remained silent for several minutes, and she knew that he wasn't sleeping. She could feel her heart pounding in her ears as she felt his breath skittering across her neck. "Your grandfather told you father to leave."

"Hm?" Booth whispered back, his head leaning over hers so that he could see the side of her face in the light of the winter moonlight. "What, Bones?"

"Nothing, never… mind, never mind." She said softly.

"You said something about Pops… did he tell you something?"

"Yes." She whispered. "Don't worry… just…"

"Well, now you have me worried." He said, pulling his arm from around her, he rolled onto his back, and instantly she felt cold from his lack of embrace. "Bones, what aren't you telling me?"

"Booth, its…"

"No, tell me." He said, watching her roll over to face him, he could see the outline of her features, the moon casting a soft glow over her face, her blue eyes looking clear against the white of the moon reflecting in them. "What did Pops tell you? Did he tell you that he told my father to leave? Is that what you said?" He released a breath when he saw her head nod, and she didn't know what it meant. His eyes avoided hers for a moment, and he finally met hers with a deep sadness. "Pops told you that?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Did he sound… concerned? Worried? Did he sound like he felt guilty?"

"Booth, you know I'm not good at reading people."

"Bones, it's Pops, he's practically me…"

"Well, I wouldn't say that… Pops is quite charming, and…"

"Wait, wait… we're getting off topic here." He said, letting out a nervous laugh. "How did he sound? If it were me, how would you have interpreted it?" He asked.

"Guilt ridden." She whispered. "Scared… ashamed. He sounded like he was getting something off his shoulders, something that he didn't know that he could be around to handle. He thinks you'd be angry with him, disappointed."

"And he asked you to tell me this?"

"Yes. Though I never knew the appropriate moment. Now appeared to be that moment."

"You picked a very, very good moment." He said, reaching his arm around her securely, he kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Boots." He whispered into her hair, holding her tightly against him.

"I love you, Boo." She whispered, as he dropped another kiss in her hair, and they once again tried to brave the darkness of the night, and their dreams together.


	159. Proof is in the Putting Up With Family

She attempted to roll out of his embrace in the morning and found that he was holding her tightly, his nose still pressed in her neck, his arm wrapped around her like a vice. "Booth, I have to get up." She said as he grumbled, tightening his grip, kissing her neck. "Booth… stop tickling me…" She whined as she heard him laugh against her skin. "Big mean ape." She whined, and his arm loosened, though as she pulled away, he grabbed the back of the t-shirt she was wearing and looked up at her with sleepy eyes.

"Why are you escaping my bed?" He asked.

"I have to run to the store and get a couple things." She said, swatting at his hand, still holding her shirt in its grip.

"It's cold outside." He mumbled.

"Which is exactly why you boys will stay here in the nice warm apartment, while I run out and get the ingredients for the pancakes." She said, watching him contemplate it sleepily. "Booth?"

"Huh?"

"I promise I'll come back." She teased, a slow smile spreading on her lips as she leaned back, his hand let go of the shirt and she crawled back onto the bed, giving him a sweet kiss on his lips as he groaned and stretched a little.

"As long as you promise…" He whispered, watching her nod her head as another kiss dropped on his lips. She rolled her eyes and climbed from the bed and quickly headed to the shower.

* * *

Brennan had showered quickly, dressed and checked on Parker and put on a pot of coffee before she grabbed Booth's keys and made her way to the door. She saw the crumpled piece of paper out of the corner of her eye and lifted it up, unfolding it curiously. She knew exactly who it was from, just as Booth had, and though the only thing on the paper was a phone number and a quickly scrawled note for Booth to call him, she still felt a knot in her stomach. She folded the paper carefully and slipped it into her bag, glancing toward the direction of the bedroom, she slipped out the door to get the breakfast supplies.

Her trip to the store was quick and easy, and though there was snow on the ground, it hadn't snowed enough to erase the marks of trampled sidewalk from the previous night's snowball fight. She smiled as she parked the truck on the street, and climbed easily from the cab, walking around to the back. She was about to pull the bags from the back of the truck when she became acutely aware of someone watching her. Her first thought was that the boys were in the window, looking down to see if she needed help, but when she looked up, the curtains were still covering the windows, and she shook her head to see if she could brush off the feeling.

She lifted the bags into her arms, and reached up to close the hatch, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Excuse me?" A deep voice spoke and Temperance turned swiftly, stepping up onto the curb immediately, pulling away from the touch of the person's hand.

"What do you want?" Temperance snapped, her eyes meeting the stranger's eyes from the night before. "He doesn't want to talk to you."

"I understand, but I need to talk to him." He said, his eyes were the same color and shape as both his son, and grandson, and his jaw was strong, just an older version of his son, though obviously worn down by years of drinking. "I just need a few minutes with him."

"I believe that you left your telephone number." She said, her voice was strong and she wasn't about to let him have the upper hand. She didn't feel threatened by him, but she wasn't about to let him believe that she had anything but disdain for him. "If he wants to contact you, he will contact you. In fact, I don't believe that he would be very happy right now knowing that you are talking to me right now."

"Who is Parker, he mentioned him last night. Is he his child? Do I have a grandchild?"

"Parker is none of your concern either."

"He's married, has a son." His father's eyes dropped to the sidewalk.

"He's a very, very good father, Mr. Booth." She said, continuing to not back down. She was very aware that she hadn't corrected the man in his assumption of her and Booth's relationship, partly because it was none of his business, but partly because the reality was that they were closer than a married couple. "His priority is to keep his family safe, and he would not appreciate knowing that you are lurking around his apartment. He'll call you when he is ready to talk." She said, taking a step back. "I need to go." She said, turning to walk down the sidewalk, she had just reached the door, when she felt his hand on her shoulder again.

"Please?" He said, but the word was silenced, when the next thing he knew, he was pressed up against the wall, his face slammed into the brick of the building and his arm pulled behind his back. Brennan's groceries were on the ground, and her body was against his as she hissed in his ear.

"I don't care who you are, why you're here, or what your intentions are… but we'll make things very, very clear right now, understood?" She growled. "You… will go home, or wherever the hell you're staying, and you will wait for him to call. You will not stalk, lurk, stand outside, or walk by this apartment again until that happens, are we in agreement?" She asked, feeling his head nod beneath her. "For your own safety, I won't tell him that I saw you out here… I'll leave that up to you if he ever decides to talk to you… and as for touching me… unless you'd like me to break every bone in your body, I suggest you don't do it again." She said, taking a step back, she watched the man turn around against the wall, he was out of breath and completely in shock as he stared at Brennan as she knelt down to pick up her groceries.

She turned and walked toward the door, swinging it open as she heard him call to her one more time. She snapped her head in his direction and he was still trying to catch his breath. "Just tell him… tell him that if he wants to talk to me, I'm there… but not to wait too long, because I don't know how much time is left." He said, staring into her eyes as she stood in the doorway, she nodded, and walked through the door of the apartment, disappearing as the door slammed closed behind her.

* * *

She stomped up the stairs, out of breath from the confrontation, her hands trembling a bit as she fumbled for the keys. She was about to put the key into the lock, when the door opened. "There you are!" Booth said with a smile, noticing immediately the look of surprise on her face, and the slight jump as he looked at her, confused. "What's wrong, Bones?"

"Nothing is wrong." She said, giving him a fake smile as she stepped into the apartment, he grabbed the bag from her and followed her into the kitchen after closing the door.

"First of all, I don't believe you… secondly… all of these things are wet." He said, pulling the eggs from the bag, several of them were leaking over the side. "And broken… Bones, are you okay? Did you fall outside or something?"

"Huh?" She said, turning to him, she saw the broken eggs and the wet bag, and ran through in her head what he had asked. "Yes. It's very slippery outside." She said, waiting to see if he'd believe her obvious lie.

"You slipped?"

"Yeah."

"You're alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay, just a little shaken up, is all." She said, moving into the kitchen, she began the breakfast process.

"Well, you appear to be all in one piece." He smiled.

"I am." She said, putting the pan she had pulled from the cupboard down on the counter. "I'm all in one piece." She said, approaching him, she leaned up and kissed him, watching his confused expression. "I love you, Booth."

"I know." He smiled, tugging at the belt of her coat, he noticed she was looking at him intensely. "You okay, Bones? Did you hit your head?" He teased.

"No." She said with a bit of a laugh, she unbuttoned the rest of her coat and pulled it from her shoulders, handing it to him, she leaned up with a kiss. "I just wanted to let you know."

He smiled and gave her another kiss, more than willing to thank her for her words of tenderness, before he headed to hang up her coat. She watched as he walked away toward the hook by the door, a bit of a spring in his step this morning that had been lacking the night before after seeing his father. She was suddenly relieved that she had done what she had that morning, though his father's last words to her resonated in her head, and she had a sinking feeling that she had known what he had meant by them.


	160. The Cat Is Out Of The Sack

When breakfast was just about finished, Parker trudged into the kitchen and leaned up at the counter. "Smells really good, Bones." He said with a smile at his father's girlfriend. She always made the best breakfasts, and loved when she'd stay the night when he was at his father's house.

"Well, I hope they taste really good too." She said with a smile, putting a pancake, then another on the plate that was already stacked high with pancakes. "Here, you bring these to the table… and then go tell your dad that breakfast is ready, and if he doesn't hurry up, you're going to eat all of them." She said with widened eyes as Parker laughed and took the plate, hurrying to the dining room. After a moment, she heard Parker's voice ringing through the apartment for his father, and then the sound of him pounding back toward the dining room with the clatter of a fork against a plate.

Brennan laughed to herself as she walked slowly toward the dining room, carrying two cups of coffee and a big cup of milk, she put the milk next to Parker just as Booth walked into the dining room. "Aw Bones… you always make the best breakfasts." He said with a smile, sitting down, he pulled the plate of pancakes from his son, who looked offended that he had only managed to get two off the plate before his father showed up. "You need to learn how to share."

"I don't share Bones' pancakes, Dad. They're the best!" Parker said as he began to eat, both boys realizing that Brennan was sitting at the table, but didn't have a plate in front of her.

"What's wrong, Bones… did you eat all of your pancake mistakes? Make yourself full?"

"I never make pancake mistakes." She said, matter-of-factly.

"Not even once?" He asked, shoving nearly a whole pancake in his mouth as she shook her head.

"Eat like a man please, not like a food deprived wildebeest." She said, watching Booth finish chewing, his eyebrow raised in curiosity as Brennan chose a pancake and put it on her plate and carefully cut up her breakfast into smaller pieces and ate slowly.

They were probably halfway through their breakfast when Parker decided to speak up, and his words made the entire room go silent but for the clanking of silverware on their plates. "Who was that man outside yesterday, Dad?"

"It was nobody. Don't worry about it." Booth spoke up after a moment or two of silence.

"You told Bones that it was your father." He said seriously, waiting for his father to answer for a moment or two, he watched as Booth continued to eat. "I thought all of my grandpas were dead… except Pops, but he's not your real dad, he's your grandpa. Right, dad?" Parker asked.

"Just eat your breakfast." Booth replied, the return of the darkened mood moved quickly to cloud Booth's normally warm and inviting brown eyes.

"But dad, I was just wondering if…"

"Just drop it, Parker!" Booth said, raising his voice a bit, his fork clattered to the plate, and Brennan jumped.

"Booth." She said softly.

"I told him to stop, and he didn't stop, what am I supposed to do, Bones?" He asked darkly, his eyes looking directly into hers.

"Don't let your anger at your father bleed into your personality, Booth. You're not him, you've never been him, and you'll never be him. Don't take your anger out on a few simple questions. He knows that you're upset. He just wants to know why."

"Well it doesn't matter, because he'll never see him, he'll never meet him, and he'll never know him. Do you got that, Bones? If all of that isn't happening, then there is no reason to even talk about him, is there?" Booth said, standing abruptly.

"Where are you going? Sit down and finish breakfast." She said softly as Parker and Brennan watched him wipe his face with a napkin and throw it down on the table.

"I'm done eating." He said, turning around, he walked out of the room and disappeared down the hallway, the only sound heard was the slam of the door, leaving Parker and Brennan staring at one another over their half empty plate of pancakes.

Parker opened his mouth, his lips trembling for a moment. "I didn't mean to make him mad at me." Parker whispered.

"He's not mad at you, Parker." She said, her voice reassuring. "Don't worry about your dad, okay? I got this all covered. You finish up your breakfast and clean the table, and I'll go talk to him." She said, standing up, she turned quickly and jumped when she noticed the focus of their conversation was standing in the doorway. "Hey." She said, a near squeak in her surprise.

"Hey." He said, looking for all the world that he was about to cry, he was holding back his emotions very well, and Brennan was quite surprised that he was able to. "Can you save me some pancakes?" He asked, taking a deep breath.

"Sure." She said, glancing to Parker, who was nodding, still a bit surprised to see Booth standing in the doorway. He knew he had made him upset, and he didn't want to make matters worse.

They were all amidst an awkward silence for several moments, and Booth finally turned and walked out of the room again. Brennan and Parker exchanged a glance, and she nodded toward the other room, to which Parker nodded.

She walked into the living room, finding him sitting on the couch, staring across at a blank television screen. She sat beside him, her back against the arm of the couch, her feet burying themselves between his leg and the cushion as she rested her head on her arms and watched him.

"I look like him." Booth spoke finally, his eyes squinting slightly, she realized he was staring at his reflection in the television. "I look just like him."

"But you're not him."

"Half of me is." Booth said, looking at her for argument, finding none.

"And what is the other half?" She countered. "Tell me about your mother." She shrugged. "You know all about my family… or at least what I know about my family. Tell me about your mother."

"My mother was… weak." He said, the look on his face was close to a sneer, and Brennan could feel the coldness in his voice. "She was weak… but she was beautiful." He said, staring into the screen. "I look like him."

"Tell me more." She implored, watching his head turn, and his eyes finally meeting hers. She could see the darkness in his pupils, the way his eyes appeared to be watering, but no tears managed to escape. It was like he was able to protect his emotions in the same way he protected everything else in his life. "You loved your mother." She whispered. "Do you love your father?"

"I…don't know." He shook his head. "He wasn't a bad father. I can't fault him for anything there. He had an honest job, he wasn't a deadbeat. He would… sometimes close the barber shop early to catch one of my ballgames." Booth said, with the hint of a wistful smile on his lips. "He wasn't a bad father, Bones… but that's not all you can measure a man by. You measure it by how he treats the people he loves, and for the most part, he was a good man… but at night… it was like a completely different person emerged." Booth whispered, his eyes becoming darker, dropping from her gaze, he stared at himself in the television again.

"Don't you think Parker should know these things? Don't you think that he should learn about his grandfather?"

"I told him his grandfather was dead."

"Well, he just saw him yesterday, I'm fairly sure that the cat is out of the sack." She said, watching his eyes meet hers for a moment, they sparkled back at her and she smiled tenderly.

"You did that one on purpose."

"Maybe." She shrugged.

"Sometimes, Bones… sometimes I feel like there are parts of you that I'll never get to know… You're so complex."

"I am fairly sure that was a compliment." She said, narrowing her eyes with a tender smile. He reached his hand out and placed it on the hand resting on her knee.

"I'm lucky to have you." He whispered, looking up as he saw the door from the dining room open, and Parker poked his head out.

"Bones, I cleaned the table."

"Thank you, Parker." She smiled, waving him over, he ran over and plopped down between his father and Brennan, smiling.

"You make the best pancakes ever, Bones." He said, rubbing his belly, he grinned.

"Yeah… Bones is pretty cool."

"Can we keep her?" Parker asked with a laugh as Brennan giggled.

"Yeah, we can keep her." Booth said, rubbing his son's head, he let out a laugh as the three of them laughed for a moment. Booth pulled his son toward him and hugged him tightly for a moment as he became thoughtful for a moment. "Bones?" He said as he looked toward her, her eyes were on his, sensing his tone. "I wanted to stop in at the office for something… would you mind hanging out with Parker?"

She could tell that his mind was in the process of working out some details, and that he wasn't sure exactly what he was going to do, but she respected his need for a bit of time alone. "I won't be long, just have a few things I need to do."

"It's not a problem… Parker and I still haven't gotten your Christmas gift… so we'll do some shopping while you're out."

"Thanks, Bones." He said, standing up, he leaned over her and dropped a kiss on her lips. "I love you."

"Seriously guys… I'm right here." Parker said as his father reached over and shoved his shoulder lightly, sending the boy tumbling into the couch in a fit of giggles.

"I love you too." Bones replied, as Parker jumped from the couch and declared that he was going to 'get' his father, and the two boys began running around the apartment for a couple minutes, before Booth disappeared into the bedroom to get dressed.


	161. Firecracker

Booth knocked hard on the hotel room door, his fist clenched in a mix between anxiety and anger, and when the door opened, he dropped it to his side.

"Seeley." Joseph Booth said. He looked pale and worn, and very old, and just the sight of him stirred a rage inside him. "How did you find me?" He asked.

"You left me a phone number." He said, holding the crumpled piece of paper that Brennan had handed him on his way out the door. "I work for the FBI, it's not that hard to find what I need." He said, pushing his way into the hotel room, he saw that the room looked barely lived in, it was obvious that his father hadn't been in town long. He turned as Joseph closed the door, and he noticed the fresh scratch marks on his face. "What happened to you?" He asked, though his voice was devoid of any indication that he actually cared.

"That wife of yours is a real firecracker." Joseph replied.

"My wife? Bones? Bones isn't my wife… when did you see her?"

"Bones? What kind of name is that to call a beautiful young lady?" Joseph asked.

"Answer my question, when did you see her?" He asked, stepping forward into his father's face, his eyes were filled with anger.

"This morning." He said, releasing a breath, nose to nose with what he could describe as the sober younger version of himself. "I saw her this morning when she was coming back from the grocery store."

"And she hit you?" Booth asked.

"She warned me, Seeley… I wasn't trying to do any harm. I just needed to talk to you, and I thought that maybe she could get a message to you. I tried to get her attention when she walked away from me, and before I knew it, she had me up against the wall with my arm pulled against my back. Said she'd break every bone in my body if I ever touched her again."

"Oh, she could do so much more than just break every bone in your body." Booth assured him.

"Like I said… she's a real firecracker." Joseph replied, watching Seeley take a slow, deep breath as he took a step away from his father and looked around the room.

"So what do you want?" Booth asked. "You obviously don't need money if you're staying here… so what is it? You want to apologize? You want to take another swing?" He asked, as Joseph coughed, a light cough that seemed to rattle him a bit as he watched his son.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness." Joseph replied.

"Damn straight you don't!" Booth shouted. "You killed my mother! You killed her, then you left!" He screamed, the tears in his eyes were evident, but still held back as he stared deeply into his father's eyes. "And I have hated you ever since."

"Seeley…"

"No!" Booth exclaimed. "No, no… No! This was a mistake… I'm sorry that I tracked you down… just go back to whatever hole you crawled out of, and don't come looking for me again, okay? Stay away from my family, away from my home! Stay out of my life! Unless you're dead, I don't want to see your face again!" He shouted, reaching for the doorknob.

"Jesus, Seeley, you are just like your old man." Joseph said, expecting exactly what he got, which was Booth swinging around and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. He pushed his father back and held him against the wall, a look of absolute rage on his face, nearly lifting the older man off his feet, his son's eyes held his.

"I am nothing like you! Do you hear me? I am nothing like you! I don't take a hand to the people that I love! I don't come home stinking drunk and beat my wife because my dinner took too long, or because my son got a D on his report card! I don't hurt the people that I love because I'm too cowardly to face my own demons! I am nothing like you! Do you understand me?" He said, droplets of spittle escaping his lips with each syllable. "I am nothing like you!" He said, realizing the hold he had on his father was cutting off his breathing, he let go of the older man and took a step back, surprised by his own rage.

Joseph sputtered for a moment, trying to catch his breath, breathing heavily, he looked up into his son's eyes and could see the shock in them from the physical force he had just exerted, and could see that he was trying to rectify it with himself. "It's fine, Seeley… it's fine, I deserved that." He said, catching his son's quick flash of apology. "I deserve more than that." He whispered. "But… I was afraid that if I just blurted out what I needed you to hear, then you'd walk out the door, and that would be it. At least now you're listening."

"I always listen." He said, his voice still low, still filled with anger.

"You're a smart man, Seeley. I wish that I could say that I had something to do with it."

"What do you want, Dad?" He asked, unwilling to break for even a moment of tenderness from his father. "What do you want from me?"

"I don't want anything from you, Seeley." He replied.

"Then why are you here?" Booth asked, pronouncing each word succinctly. "What do you want from me?"

"I wanted to make sure that you were alright." He said. "I wanted to give this to you." He said, pulling a box from his pocket, he handed it to his son.

Booth took the box and opened it, his surprise turned quickly back to anger as soon as he saw its contents. "This is Mom's ring."

"Yeah… handed down from her mother, and her mother before. She wanted you to have it… to give it to someone special, someone you could love for the rest of your lives."

"You said you pawned it." Booth grunted.

"You think that I would besmirch your mother's memory like that, kid? I loved her, Seeley. I was a son of a bitch, and I treated her like crap sometimes… but I loved her." He said, his voice sounding sincere, Booth's eyes were on his as he watched his father shrug. "Yeah, sure you thought I'd do that to your mother's memory… I gotcha, Seeley." He said roughly. "But that's for you… if you want it, to do with it what you want."

"What about Jared?" Booth asked. "Have you talked to him? Pops? Do they know you're dying?" He asked, catching his father's eyes as they betrayed the truth that hadn't been spoken, he moved his eyes back to the ring in his hand, as he met his father's gaze.

There was a long pause, as his father contemplated what he was going to say next, and Booth waited for it. "They don't know nothing." He said.

"So you put the burden on me to tell them?" He asked.

"No. They don't need to know where I've been all of these years. I think I'm okay with them hating me, knowing I'm going to hell and all that. But that…" He said, "That is the only thing that I have left of your mother… and these?" He said, pulling his wallet out, his hands trembled as he pulled out two tiny, worn pieces of cardboard, a faded picture of a young Seeley wearing a baseball cap and holding a bat, a baseball card made from a picture that he had his mother take of him, pasted on a piece of cardboard and given as a gift, and a worn photograph of two smiling boys, he handed them the Booth. "That's all I had left of the family that I pushed away. They don't need to know, Seeley…"

Booth stared at the baseball card for a moment, the smile on his face in the picture was bright, and he remembered the day he had made that card for his father, the day he pasted the picture on the front of it, the warmth of the sun on his back as he sat on the front stoop of their apartment cutting the rectangular cardboard piece to fasten the picture to. He flipped the card over and could barely see the faded statistics that he had given himself, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Seeley?" Joseph spoke as his son looked up at him, seeing the sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Without a word, he handed the card and picture back to his father, and put the ring box in his pocket as he stared at his father's trembling hands as he took the items from his hands. He then turned quietly and headed for the door, his breathing was slightly labored, and his heart was beating wildly. He stopped suddenly, reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his wallet, he turned toward his father as he opened it, flipping through a couple of items with his fingers, he pulled out a small rectangular piece of paper, the smiling face of a little boy, much the same as the one on the card that his father held, and he reached it across to his father. Posed with a bat on his shoulder, the same eyes, the same smile.

"This is Parker." He said softly, handing over the card to the older man, he grasped it in his trembling hands. "He's nine… that's his baseball card."

"Seeley." His father whispered, looking at the picture on the card.

"I'm sorry too, Dad." He said, giving him a sad smile as he grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, looking back to see his father still staring at his son's picture. "Dad?" He said, his father looking up at him as he watched a tear roll down his cheek. "There's a place on Grand Ave… the Royal Diner. They make the best pies in the city… Freshly made, every day…"

"I bet they're nothing like your mother's pies…" Joseph said in response, watching a slight smile on his son's lips.

"Nah… but they're the closest I've found to it." He said, opening the door, he walked out of the hotel room, and toward his car, feeling much lighter than he had when he walked in.


	162. How It All Started

Booth walked into his apartment and found it empty, his girlfriend and son had gone out shopping, and he found himself alone, at least for a little while. He walked through the apartment toward the bedroom, his hand in his pocket as the box that his father had given him rolled around in his hand. He went to the closet in his bedroom and reached up to pull a small metal locked box from the shelf, hearing the contents shifting in the box, he pulled his keys out and unlocked it, opening the lid, he backed up and sat on the bed, staring in the box at the contents.

Important papers were folded neatly within the box, a couple of old pictures, and an unopened envelope addressed to him. He stared at the letter for a moment, his father's handwriting scratched across the envelope, it was from the first time he had tried to contact him, nearly three years earlier. He swallowed hard and reached his hand back into his pocket, pulling the ring box from within it, he slipped his thumb under the lip and flipped it open, staring at the ring inside. A simple gold band with a sizable blue diamond, it sparkled in the light coming from outside, and he could feel the sadness of memories of his mother coming back to him.

He closed his eyes and flipped the box closed, slipping it into the box, he pulled out another square box, did the very same thing with his thumb, flipping it open, he stared down at the simple gold band. It wasn't anything particularly special in style, and more masculine than the ring that he had just been looking at, in fact, it wasn't a ladies ring at all, but one fit for a man. It sparkled as well, in the light of the room, though the reaction it stirred in him was different from the previous ring. This ring made him feel warm, loved, and honored. It made him feel like he had something to be proud of. He gently pulled the ring from the box and palmed it, slipping it into his pocket, he flipped the box closed and put it in the metal box, closing the lid, he used his key to lock it as he stood up, hearing the sound of the door opening as he heard his son rambunctiously entering the apartment.

"Dad! Are you here?" Parker exclaimed as he ran down the hallway. Booth quickly turned toward the closet and opened the door, sliding the box onto the shelf, he closed the closet door and turned.

"I'm in my bedroom, Parker." He called as the door swung open and his son stood grinning, his sneakers wet from snow, his jacket still warmly fastened.

"Bones says not to come out yet… she's gonna bring in your present and hide it on you." He grinned.

"Okay… just have her come in here when she's done hiding it." Booth said with a shake of his head.

"Okay." Parker exclaimed, running down the hallway leaving a trail of wet spots from his shoes behind him.

Booth sat on the bed for a couple of minutes, hearing Brennan talking to Parker in a soft voice, and Parker responding and giggling as they brought the gift into the apartment, naturally piquing his interest. He smiled knowingly as he waited, watching as the door opened slowly, and Brennan peeked around the corner.

"Hey." She said, unsure of how things had gone, she was fairly sure she knew where he was going, which was why she had handed the paper with the phone number to him wordlessly before he had left.

"Hey." He said, nodding his head for her to come in further, she smiled a little brighter.

"We got your present."

"I heard." Booth replied. "Can I have it now?"

"Haha… no." She said, sitting next to him, she bounced a bit on the bed and gave him a sideways glance. "How did everything go with what you had to do?"

"It didn't go badly." He replied, feeling her hand rubbing his back gently, he smiled and leaned into her for a kiss.

"Good." She said affectionately. "Are you hungry?" She asked, watching his eyebrows raise as he nodded. "Good… we're hungry too. We were going to go to the diner, but we figured we would wait for you."

"Well, I'm right here." He said with a shrug and a smile, standing up as he pulled her with him gently. "Tell me where my present is…"

"No!" She giggled.

"Fine…" He shrugged, feeling her close behind him, he turned quickly, and felt her run into his chest. She gave him an odd look.

"What?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him, taking a step back.

"My dad says you're a real firecracker." He said, narrowing his eyes at her as he turned on his heel and stalked down the hallway with a bemused expression, leaving her speechless.

* * *

Brennan spent most of their dinner apologizing, though because Parker was there, it was vague, and each time she said it, he would just smile and shake his head. They made their way back to Booth's apartment, looking forward to spending a relaxing evening watching Christmas themed movies, none of which Brennan had ever seen, much to Parker's amusement.

Brennan and Booth sat on opposite ends of the couch with Parker on the floor in front of it, covered in blankets and ready to watch, with a bowl of popcorn on the floor for Parker, and a bowl on the couch for the two adults. Booth glanced to Brennan as he found the proper DVD with the controller, and pressed play, glancing to Brennan. "I still can't believe you've never seen 'Home Alone', Bones."

"Dad, you said it's not nice to tease Bones about things she doesn't know… because she knows everything else and could kick your butt in a game of Trivial Pursuit." Parker said, glancing up at his father.

"What's Trivial Pursuit?" Brennan asked, an amused look on her face as Booth shook his head.

"Nothing… quiet… movie is starting." He said, nodding toward the TV, he reached out and ruffled his son's hair, and Parker let out a laugh.

* * *

They were well into the movie when Brennan felt Booth's foot creep across the couch toward her, nudging her leg lightly, she glanced to him, but noticed that he was still watching the movie, his eyes intent on the screen as his toes wiggled on her leg. She pushed against his leg a bit with hers, and he pushed back, noting with a sly smile that she was watching him as he poked her back with his foot. She nudged his leg again, and he glanced down at Parker before looking to Brennan, he reached across and grabbed her foot, making her let out a squeak.

"Will you guys cut it out?" Parker asked, glaring at his father's sheepish grin as Brennan stifled a giggle.

"Yeah, cut it out." She said, kicking at Booth lightly, he held onto her foot, and she almost squeaked again, covering her mouth, Booth motioned for her to be quiet as he took her foot in his hands. "Booth." She whispered.

"Quiet, Bones." He said, slowly rubbing her foot beneath the blanket, neither of them were watching the movie at this point. She was staring into his eyes, and he sat on his side of the couch, watching a blush rise up into her cheeks, even in the darkness of the television lit room. He rubbed her foot for quite a while, watching the movie and feeling her squirm against his hands, she gave him a look of disapproval as the movie went on, her other foot moved to his lap, and he began to knead that foot with his thumbs as the movie ended and the credits rolled, ending in a blue screen void of anything.

Booth continued rubbing her foot, his eyes glancing to his son, who was sound asleep in front of the couch, and he increased the intensity of the foot massage. "Booth…" She murmured.

"Yes?" He whispered, lifting her foot to his lips, she could see in the intensity of his eyes on her as he left a gentle kiss on her toes.

"This is how it all started." She whispered.

"How what started?" He whispered, continuing to press the pads of his fingers into her flesh, she was still amazed by how he was able to disarm her normally ticklish feet.

"How you started… flirting with me." She whispered. "Booth…" She groaned. "Parker is right there."

"I'm not doing anything, Bones… it's just a simple foot massage." He whispered, lifting her foot, he placed a tiny trail of kisses along her ankle as she tipped her head back for a second to control herself, biting her lip as she lifted her eyes to his.

"You're not as innocent as you seem." She whispered.

He smiled at her, still holding her foot in his hands, she watched as he flipped his hand and revealed something circular. She felt her breath hitch at the object, a ring of gold, dancing precariously on the tips of thumb and forefinger.

"What's that?" She swallowed.

"What does it look like?" He asked, sliding the ring onto her toe, he kissed her foot.

"Booth?" She said, feeling her heart beating faster as she pulled her foot to herself, pulling the ring off, she let it roll on her fingers. "What is it?"

"What does it look like?" He asked again.

"A ring." She said, giving him a confused look. "A man's ring. I don't know what it means."

"It means that I'm ready when you are." He said, watching her roll it in her fingers. "You mean the world to me, Bones… more than the world… You have learned so much… you have taught me so much. You defend me, protect me, love me… you provide for my son… protect him, love him. I can't think of anything that wouldn't share with you… sometimes with a little prodding. I've shared everything I can with you, and I want to share forever with you too." He said with a soft laugh, watching a tear roll down her cheek. "I just want you to know that I'm ready when you are." He whispered, as she suddenly launched herself from her side of the couch and landed atop him in a massive hug, her body lying across him as he wrapped his arms around her.. "Geez, Bones!" He said with a laugh as he held her tightly in his arms. "I love you, baby." He whispered, hearing her silent tears as she sniffled, running his fingers through her hair.

"I love you." She whispered, holding the ring tightly in her hand, she hugged him. "I love you, too." She mumbled as she curled in his embrace, and let him hold her.


	163. Bra Burning Hippie

He held her tightly, kissing her head as she pushed her face into his chest and snuggled into him. They lay there for a while together, until she shifted her head and looked up at him. She smiled at his smile. "Are you ready to go to bed?" He whispered, and she nodded tenderly as she shifted, moving carefully across to the other end of the couch where she was, he sat up. Her eyes were on him, and she noticed that he was watching her out of the corner of her eye. She smiled and walked toward the bedroom, glancing back at him, she smiled when she saw him making sure Parker was under the blanket, he lifted the remote to the television and turned it off, making the apartment go dark but for the Christmas lights, he noticed she had already disappeared into the bedroom.

He walked over his son's sleeping body toward the bedroom, listening to his feet slapping against the wooden floor, he listened for her and heard nothing. He stepped into the dark bedroom and reached for the light, only to have a hand cover his. "Bones?"

"Hush…" She said, moving her hand slowly up his arm, he could feel the chill rolling over his skin as he felt her body push against his back, her arms circling his waist, she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"Bones, what are you…?"

"I said hush…" She said, tugging his pajama bottoms, she pulled them, forcing him to turn sharply and land solidly against her, her face pointed right at him, her hand still holding the waistband of his pants.

"Bones, Parker is right in the other…"

"You are a very, very bad listener." She said, covering his mouth with her hand, he heard her giggle as she pulled him backwards a little, slipping her foot backwards, she shoved the door closed. "Parker isn't going to hear anything… because you're going to be quiet." She said, her breath snaking over his skin, her hand still in the waistband of his pants, she let go of his mouth, and reached behind her, flicking the lock on the doorknob.

"You are a very, very bad girl."

"I am." She said, pushing him with her free hand, she moved him toward the bed and when the back of his knees touched the mattress, she looked up into his eyes. In the light of the street lamps that skittered across the room, she could just make out his features, and he could just see hers. "I lied to you."

"You did." He said, shaking his head. "You did lie to me…"

"I just…" She said, looking down at his chest as if she were embarrassed to be admitting it. "I just didn't want things to get worse than they already were." She admitted. "If I said that he approached me, then you would have reacted in… a negative manner." She shrugged, running her hands down his chest, she slipped her hands under his shirt, and felt him immediately react to her touch, his abdomen squeezing in for a second, she smiled seductively at him.

"Nah… I would have told you that it wasn't fair that you didn't let me watch you kick his butt…"

"Yeah? You get turned on when I beat people up?" She asked in a throaty voice, her fingernails scraping lightly down his chest, she watched his jaw hang slack for a second.

"Its very hot." He squeaked a little, squirming as she smiled at him, letting a tiny giggle escape.

"You know what else is hot?"

"Hm?"

"Mm… makeup sex." She whispered.

"But we didn't fight." He shrugged.

"Sure we did." She shrugged, tugging at his shirt, she helped him lift it up over his head, and he swung it on his arm and onto the floor. "You yelled at me for lying."

"Really?" He whispered, putting his hands on her hips, he pulled them toward him, feeling her body against his, she pushed her hips forward and could feel how much he wanted her. "I don't remember yelling."

"Mm… I remember hearing yelling… lots and lots of yelling." She said, feeling his hands move from her hips to her butt, he slid them down and pulled her toward him a little more, lifting her from the ground, she gripped his shoulders and let him lift her up into his arms, her legs wrapped firmly around him, her mouth moving for his neck as he let out a low groan as her lips caressed his tender flesh, her hands on his shoulders as his arms wrapped around her back, slipping his hands up the t-shirt she was wearing as he raked his fingernails across her back. "Holy Sh…"

"Bones…" Booth said, his voice sounding surprised by her reaction, she stopped what she was saying and he listened for a moment as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"I want you." She whispered breathily in his ear, feeling him sit on the bed, her feet touched the mattress and she shifted forward, sitting directly on his lap, she lifted her head and looked him in the eyes.

"You want me?" He asked, seeing that she was watching him in the pale light of the room, and her expression was very sincere, very sweet, almost innocent.

"I do." She whispered, reaching her hand to his, she rubbed her hands along his arms, his hands supporting her on his lap, she tugged his arm and he moved it to her as she grabbed it with her own, bringing it to her lips as she watched his eyes clearly. "Since it's not possible for human beings to live forever… then it is our responsibility to take advantage of the time that we have on earth, correct?"

"I guess." He said, feeling her hand rubbing back and forth on his palm, he kept his eyes on hers as he watched her curiously. "What are you getting at, Bones?"

"I just want you to know that I'm ready." She said, watching his brow furrow as he felt her hand creep up his.

"What?" He asked, his mouth dry.

"You think you're so clever… with your little half proposal… you figured… hey, I have a couple of years, I'll be lucky if Bones accepts the ring, let alone gives it back to me… she'll probably look at me with this shocked expression… kind of like the one on your face right now." She said with a little smile. "And I'll never see that ring again." She shrugged. "That's probably what you were thinking."

"No." He shook his head. "No, no, of course not." He said.

"You're cocky."

"Bones."

"It's not good for our relationship."

"Maybe it's not good for our health." She said, widening her eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about?" He whispered, feeling something drop on his finger, he turned his head to see a gold band halfway down his finger.

"Make it official… ask me."

"Ask you what?" He teased.

"You're mean! I can be mean too." She said, reaching for the ring, he moved his hand from her quickly, hiding it behind his back, she smiled and pressed her forehead against his, grinning at his smile.

"You can say it, you know." He shrugged. "Liberated woman and all… bra burning hippie."

"Booth!"

"Kidding… kiss me."

"Okay." She said, leaning forward, dropping a sweet kiss on his lips.

"Marry me." He whispered, lifting his hands to her face, he forced her to look into his eyes.

"Okay." She grinned, leaning forward to capture his lips, it was the last coherent thing that either of them said for quite a while that night as they instantly became lost in one another in celebration.


	164. The Day Started With A Knock

The insistent knocking on the door was no match for the sleep that the two entangled bodies on the bed were trying to get. "Your son is knocking on the door." Brennan muttered to her sleeping companion, who was completely naked but for the sheet that was wrapped around his waist, his eyes opened to the beautiful sight of his partner, and fiancé feigning sleep beside him.

The knocking continued.

He rolled onto his back and let out a deep sigh, rolling his eyes, though his lips held a hint of a smile as he realized his arm was trapped beneath the body beside him, and his eyes traveled to the hand that held the band of gold which she had slipped on his finger the night before.

And more knocking.

"What, Parker?" Booth asked loudly, feeling Brennan curl a little more into him, he rolled his eyes and then rolled onto his side, wrapping his other arm around her.

"I'm hungry!" Parker's shout came from the hallway as the doorknob wiggled. "And your door is stuck."

"No, it's locked." Booth replied, kissing Brennan on the nose, she smiled and let him pull his arm out from around her.

"Why is it locked?" Parker replied.

"Parker, go have some cereal." Booth replied as he pulled the sheet with him as he tried to take it with him, though when he felt some resistance, he noticed that it was also covering his companion.

"I don't want cereal… I want waffles." Parker complained.

"Cereal… go eat cereal." Booth said, tugging the sheet, feeling her tugging it back. "Hey…"

"Waffles sound good." Brennan mumbled, opening one eye.

"Well then get up and make them." He said, as he bent over, the sheet still around him as he reached for his boxers, and just as he was about to grab them, there was a mighty pull from the sheet, as he tumbled backwards. "Bones!" He exclaimed, suddenly very naked, he watched the sheet land on top of her head and he heard her giggling.

"Will you two stop messing around and feed me already, I'm starving to death out here!" Parker exclaimed, banging on the door.

Booth pulled his boxers on as Brennan pulled the sheets off her head and looked toward the door. "It isn't possible for you to be starving to death, Parker. You know that. It would take weeks for your body to deteriorate to the point of organ failure, and I know for a fact that you ate an entire bowl of popcorn by yourself last night." She said, looking to Booth, who just laughed and slipped on a pair of sweatpants with an amused look on his face.

There was a pause for a moment as Booth moved toward the door, sending Brennan an amused look. When there was another knock. "I'm still hungry!" Parker exclaimed, as Booth quickly unlocked the door and slipped into the hallway, closing the door behind him as Parker backed up against the wall with a grin on his face. "Were you guys gettin' busy?" He asked, his grin only widening as Booth tried to look tough as his son took off down the hallway.

"Get back here, you little…"

"Booth?" Brennan said from the doorway, he turned to see her peeking out at him, she was obviously wrapped in the sheet and he smiled and gave her a slightly confused look. "What are we telling everyone?" She asked, nodding toward his hand, he leaned forward and kissed her nose.

"I'd go around telling people that you own me, but they already know that to be true." He said with a smile. "We'll tell everyone the truth…"

"That we're getting married?" She asked, a flash of panic in her eyes made him touch his forehead to hers.

"That we're just continuing to solidify our relationship with meaningless mementos and ridiculous traditions… and maybe one day we'll make it legal… maybe we won't… but I am making a commitment to you, and you to me… and either way, we're going to have a party to celebrate it."

"I like that." She whispered. "Though I know that you are only saying that for my benefit."

"Right, because I am full of crap." He said, feeling her nod her head against him.

"At least we agree on that." She said as his jaw dropped and he pushed at the door, sending her running into the room and the door slamming behind him as he locked the door again right before they crashed onto the bed in a laughing fit, with a very impatient boy banging at the door once again.


	165. Are You My Mother?

The day was uneventful after Parker finally ate his breakfast. Parker didn't blink an eye when Booth told him the news of their engagement. He just shrugged his shoulders and gave them a typical ten year old 'cool', to which Brennan and Booth exchanged a 'that was anticlimactic' shrug.

The three of them then took a nice winter walk and wrestled in the snow on the mall until all three were thoroughly soaked and shivering. They decided to make their way to the diner for some hot chocolate and an early dinner before heading back to the apartment. Booth held Brennan's hand as Parker ran ahead, sliding on the icy sidewalk in spots and coming to a stop as he kicked his feet and laughed.

"Hey, be careful…" Booth said as Parker slid past him on the ice. "You crack your head open, and we're going to the diner without you." He said as Parker let out a laugh.

"You're just going to leave my brains all splattered on the sidewalk?" He laughed as Booth shook his head.

"If you were using them, you wouldn't be doing that." Booth said, teasing him as Parker laughed and attempted to jump onto his father's back, laughing as Booth lifted him up and swung him around.

"Ah! Help, Bones!" Parker exclaimed as Booth lifted him to the ground just as they arrived at the diner, his giggles were muffled as he hugged his father as he opened the door to the diner.

Brennan stepped in first, but stopped as soon as she was in the door, making both boys knock into her. "Geez, Bones… what are you…" He stopped talking as soon as he saw what she was looking at. Well, it was more of 'who' she was looking at. "Hey." Booth said, seeing his father sitting at the diner counter talking to their usual waitress. Brennan turned and Parker did as well, looking to Booth for a cue. "Go sit down…" He said, nodding his head.

"But Booth." She whispered.

"It's fine, go sit down." He said, nodding toward the table. "It's fine." He said, giving Brennan an insistent glare, she sighed and turned, turning Parker by the shoulders, she pushed him along toward the table as he looked back at his father for a moment, and walked with Brennan toward the table.

"Is that guy really my dad's dad?" Parker whispered to Brennan as he leaned over the table slightly.

She leaned over the table and glanced back at Booth, talking to the man and the waitress at the counter. She was wary at first, but their demeanor appeared to be friendly. "Yes." She whispered back to Parker, "But I'm sure that your dad doesn't want you to ask any questions about it, okay? We can talk about it later, is that alright?"

"Okay." Parker nodded at Brennan. She smiled at him, and seemed quite happy that he trusted her to tell him the truth. She glanced back at Booth and caught his eye for a split second. She could sense a bit of anxiety in the way he held his shoulders, but she could see that for the most part, he was quite calm, and she felt the tapping of a little hand on hers, which brought her attention to the little boy across the table from her. "Bones? Bones?" Parker said, tapping her hand again.

She turned her attention to him and he grinned. "What?"

"If you and dad get married, do I have to call you Mom?" He asked, a pure mischievous smile on his face, one that reminded her so much of his father that she had to let out a laugh.

"Parker!" She laughed.

"What?" He said, laughing as they both looked up at the two men approaching the table.

"What are you two conspiring about?" Booth asked as he stepped up to the table, watching as both Parker and Brennan sat back in their seats.

"Nothing." Parker said quickly, his eyes flashing to the other man, and then to Brennan, who shook her head just a bit and he rolled his eyes with that mischievous smile.

"We were discussing what we were going to have for dinner." Brennan said, not so convincingly as Booth gave her a humored, confused expression.

"I was asking Bones if I should call her Mom when you guys get married."

"Parker!" Brennan exclaimed as Booth let out a laugh.

"Alright you guys… that's enough…" Booth laughed. "I'd like you both to meet someone." He said, watching Parker and Brennan exchange a glance, Parker looked up at the older man and seemed to swallow hard. "Parker… Bones, this is my dad…. Joe Booth."

"Hi." Parker said, remembering his father's tirade in the car a couple of days earlier, he knew better than to say much more. Joe held out his hand to the little boy, who looked to his father. When Booth nodded, he reached his hand out and shook his hand, his face wary as he pulled his hand back and sat down, moving to the corner.

Brennan held her hand out to him and shook it, smiling. "We've already met." Joe said with a slight smile as Brennan smirked and glanced to Booth.

"Yes sir…" She said pulling her hand back, she moved to sit. "You can call me Temperance."

"Me and dad call her Bones." Parker exclaimed, his eyes widening when he realized he had spoken out of turn, and Brennan laughed.

"I'm a forensic anthropologist." She explained. "It's just a nickname."

"Do you guys mind if he sits with us… I thought it would be good to catch up a bit… what do you think?" Booth said, nodding to Brennan, who was of course more than willing to give Booth the benefit of the doubt, but could see that he needed just a bit of encouragement.

"Of course." She said with a smile, moving to the seat in the corner, she patted the seat beside her. "Have a seat… we were just about to order." She said, watching as Joe sat beside her, and Booth moved into the chair next to his son.

"Seeley says this place has some pretty good pie." Joe said, obviously feeling awkward.

"Bones doesn't like her fruit cooked!" Parker exclaimed, again looking surprised by his own voice as he covered his mouth. Booth nudged him and the boy looked to his father apologetically, and Booth just put his arm around his boy and hugged him close. Parker looked to Brennan as she winked at him, and from that moment on, everything else seemed to fall into place.


	166. Coddle Vs Cuddle

The long walk back to the apartment was peaceful. It was peaceful, quiet, and very thoughtful for at least two of the people walking down the street as Booth held his arm around Brennan and walked closely to her as Parker ran and slid past them again. "I swear, Parker… if you fall…" Booth said again.

"He's not going to fall, Booth." Brennan said. "If he does, it'll be his own fault."

"Are you going to be the one to coddle him and make him feel better when he does fall after I told him not to slide around on the ice?" He asked, watching the boy slide directly into a snow bank, he rolled onto his back and laughed.

"You're ridiculous." Booth told his son as the boy stood up and laughed.

"I'm not ridiculous! You're ridiculous!" He giggled as he ran and slid again as they approached the apartment, he tumbled again into another snow bank.

"Maybe I will coddle him." She shrugged, stepping up to the door to the apartment building, she backed up against it, and he smiled at the coy look on her face. "Would you be jealous?"

"Yeah." He said, pushing against her a bit, he looked down into her eyes and smiled, dropping a kiss onto her lips.

"Then I'd coddle him…" She said, acutely aware at the boy pulling on the door behind her.

"Are you guys going to move, or am I going to have to live out here in the snow while you two make out?"

"What do you think, Bones?" Booth asked, smiling at his girlfriend as she glanced to Parker and back to Booth.

"I think we should make him wait." She said, leaning up to capture his lips.

"GUYS!" Parker exclaimed as Brennan put her arms around Booth's shoulders and he lifted her around in a circle as Parker let out a disgusted grunt and swung the door open as Booth caught her lips one more times before grabbing the door and holding it open for her to get inside. "Seriously… we were in public." He huffed as he pounded up the stairs.

"What are you talking about?" Booth said, getting in front of his son, he put the key in the lock and turned it, pushing the door open. "You were pretty much screaming from the rooftops at the diner that Bones and I were engaged… I'm surprised you still have a voice after all of the chattering you did." Booth replied as Parker tossed his father an irritated glare. Booth helped Brennan from her coat and shrugged his own off, hanging them up as they kicked off their shoes.

"I was excited…" He shrugged.

"You didn't seem very excited when Bones and I told you earlier in the day." He replied as Parker shrugged again.

"Well, that's cuz I didn't have anyone to show you guys off to." He said as he made his way to his bedroom to get ready to watch another Christmas movie before bed.

Booth walked over to the couch and leaned back, flopping hard into the cushions, he tipped his head back and heaved a heavy sigh. Brennan watched him close his eyes and walked warily to his side, sitting beside him. His arm automatically moved around her shoulder, and pulled her into him, her head adorned with a small kiss as they just sat in silence for a moment. She set her hand on his leg and gave it a tender squeeze. "Tired?" She whispered.

He rolled his head so that they were eye to eye and gave her a weak smile. "Yeah."

"Is it tough to be the good guy all of the time?" She whispered, watching his fake smile become a little more real.

"Yeah." He shrugged, his chest puffed out a little at the compliment. "Tiring."

"I'm proud of you." She replied. "You didn't have to do that."

"I know." He said, avoiding her eyes for a moment, he lifted his head and stared at the arm of the couch for a moment, her body turned as her legs lifted onto his lap, and she curled a little more into him. He turned his head and continued avoiding her eyes, opting to just kiss her head, he sat for a moment with his lips buried in her hair, a hard swallow as she felt his cheek now on the top of her head. "He's dying." He whispered, not knowing why he said it, but knowing that once the words had left his mouth that he couldn't take them back.

"Who?" She asked, moving her head so that she could look into his eyes, he found solace in the blank television screen, and not her eyes. "Booth?"

"My father." He said, sucking in a deep breath, he puffed it out as if he had just lifted a great weight from his chest. He turned his eyes onto Brennan and she could see the sadness in his eyes. "My father is dying, Bones."

"How do you know this? What is his diagnosis?"

"I don't know, Bones… Hell, I don't even know what he's been doing for the past twenty years." Booth said, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, he let out another heavy sigh. "I just… the reason that he came back was… to cover some loose ends."

"Then why hasn't he left?" She asked.

"I don't know, maybe he… I don't know, Bones… why do you ask me questions that I don't have the answers for?"

"Because you're usually the one with the answers, not the questions when it comes to this kind of stuff." She said, giving him a tender jab in the ribs.

"You are such a smart ass sometimes." He shook his head with a slight smile, his eyes rolling as she smiled back at him tenderly.

"Did you think to ask him? I mean… as human nature goes, once you finish a task, you typically leave it be and let nature take its course. He's obviously looking for something else. Maybe it's a connection to you, maybe he wants to talk to Jared, or Hank." She shrugged.

"I thought talking with him at the diner was nice." Booth shrugged. "I mean… it's not like he's going to hurt me, you know?"

"He's already done that."

"I mean physically, Bones."

"Well, you do carry a gun." She said, matter-of-factly, he gave her a sideways glare with a bit of a glint in his eye, and she shrugged, smiling. "Maybe you should talk to Hank."

"Pops?"

"Yes… before he comes for Christmas dinner. I think it'd be a very good idea for him to know what has been going on. You know that as soon as Parker sees him, he's going to mention that he met his grandfather."

"Very true, Bones…" He nodded. "You're right."

"Of course I am…" She said with a smile.

"Smart, smart woman…"

"I am a genius."

"That you are."

"And a bestselling author."

"Bones."

"World renowned forensic anthropologist…"

"Alright…"

"Fiancée to a handsome FBI agent…" She said, looking to him.

"Go on…" He said, a cocky grin replacing his usual smile as she gave him a playful smack, as they heard the pounding feet of a certain little boy who was more than ready to start the next block of Christmas movie classics.


	167. Silent Mistakes

Booth stepped into the activity room at the retirement center, making himself comfortable as he waited for his grandfather to join him. He had been overjoyed to hear from him, telling him this story or that before Booth even had a chance to ask if he minded if he stopped over. He looked up when he heard his grandfather call to him, walking slowly across the room, he couldn't help but smile.

"Shrimp!" He called, waiting for Booth to make it to him as he embraced his grandfather in a hug.

"Hey, Pops…" He said with a smile as he nodded toward the two chairs in the corner.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" He laughed. "Christmas is in a couple of days… Temperance already invited me to dinner, said you'd be picking me up."

"Yeah, yeah… we have Parker." He nodded, though Hank could tell that Booth had something on his mind from the moment he heard his voice on the phone.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, or are you going to just make me guess it?" He said, watching Booth sit up a little straighter as his face became serious.

"Hey, I can't just come by and visit?"

"The only person who just comes by to visit is Temperance. You've always got something up your sleeve, Seeley." He teased his grandson with a chuckle.

He chuckled nervously for a moment, shaking his head as he took a deep breath and looked his grandfather in the eyes. "It's about dad."

"What about him?" Hank asked, the topic rarely came up, and if the conversation did, it was typically short and meaningless.

"He came to see me the other day."

"He did not!" Hank exclaimed. "That son of a…"

"Pops." Booth said, getting the older man to look at him, he shook his head. "Have you talked to dad?"

"I haven't talked to him in years, Seeley."

"So he hasn't come looking to talk to you?"

"No." Hank replied. "And I don't think I'd want to talk to him if he did… filthy drunk… abandoning his kids to fend for themselves…"

"Pops?"

"Didja talk to him?" Hank asked, ignoring Booth's inquiry.

"Yeah… we talked to him."

"We? You let Temperance near that poor excuse for a human being? Though I'm sure she could kick his ass. She's quite a firecracker, that one." Hank chuckled to himself.

"Funny, that's exactly what dad said about her." Booth said, a slight smile on his lips as he watched Hank look into his eyes. "She told me what you told her, Pops."

"She told you." He nodded, his eyes not leaving his grandson's. "Of course she told you, I told her to tell you." He said, avoiding eye contact for a moment, Hank shifted in his seat.

"Why did you tell Bones, Pops?"

"Because someone needed to hear it." He sighed, still keeping his eyes on the window.

"Pops, look at me… eye contact… it's important. You taught me that, you know. I need you to look at me."

"I don't want to look at you." He grumbled.

"Why? Because you're ashamed?" He asked, watching his grandfather's jaw set. "Did you feel guilty about it?"

"No." He replied, though his tone was unconvincing.

"Pops, you're lying to me." Booth replied. "I know that you're lying. Bones… she doesn't read people very well, you know… and she could tell that you felt guilty."

"Fine then." He said, snapping his head in Booth's direction. "I feel guilty. Does it make you feel better knowing that your grandfather was the reason you didn't have a father for all of those years?" He snapped.

Booth tried not to, but he couldn't help but let the slight laugh bubble up, increasing his grandfather's scowl. "Are you kidding me?" Booth shook his head. "You're the reason I did have a father for all of those years, Pops." He said sincerely. "You told the man that abused me… the man that beat me… to get out of my life… so that I could have a father. You were my father, Pops."

"You're being ridiculous." Hank said as he stood up. "I have to go back to my room, it's almost time to take my medication." He sighed.

"Besides, Pops. I already knew that you were the one to tell him to leave."

"I don't think so." Hank said, turning to his grandson, he shook his head.

"Well, I do." He said, standing up, he faced his grandfather face to face. "I was in the next room, Pops. I heard you tell dad to leave. I heard the door slam, and the car take off… What I didn't hear, was that you felt responsible for something that you had no reason to feel responsible for. You're the man who made me who I am, Pops. I may have half of his genetic gunk… but you and me… we have a different kind of connection, and that's what matters."

"You've been hanging out with that girlfriend of yours too much. She's making you all mushy." Hank scoffed.

"She does that." He shrugged.

"So that's why you came here… to tell me that you knew?" Hank asked, narrowing his eyes. "You wanted to tell me that you saw your father, and that you knew." He stated.

"I also had another question."

"What is that?"

"Would you care if I invited him to Christmas dinner at Bones' place?"

* * *

Parker sat across from Brennan and sipped the milkshake from his cup, watching her over the glass, she glanced out the window again. "Are you worried about dad?" He asked, watching Brennan's eyebrow raise in argument.

"No." She replied.

"I think you're worried about dad." He said, shoving the straw into his mouth, he watched her shake her head.

"Why do you say that?" She challenged.

"Cuz you keep looking out the window… and dad is supposed to be meeting us here… and I don't know." He shrugged.

"I'm not worried about your dad." She said, watching Parker for a moment, she looked out the window again, and then glanced back to the counter as they waited for their lunch.

"So was dad's dad a bad guy or something?"

"I don't know." Brennan shrugged, sipping her water.

"Yeah you do. You and dad talk all the time… he tells you everything. I won't tell dad if you tell me, I promise."

"You promise?" She asked.

"Yeah… you trust me, right? I'm just wondering."

"Your dad's dad…your grandfather was not… a nice man when your father was growing up."

"Did he make him do a lot of chores?"

"No." Brennan shook her head, unsure if she should even be broaching the topic with the young boy. "He was… he used to… hit your dad."

"Hit him?"

"Yes… physically abusive."

"My dad?" Parker asked incredulously. "His dad used to hit him?"

"When he was a little boy, yes."

"Wow." Parker swallowed.

"Yeah…" She whispered. "Wow."

"I thought his dad died… that's what he always told me." Parker said softly as he sipped the milkshake in his hands and watched Brennan.

"He probably wished he had died. Your great grandfather raised your father… he was probably just a little older than you are now when his dad left… but his grandfather took your dad, and your Uncle Jared in… took care of them and made sure they were safe."

"So Grampa Joe… from yesterday… he used to hit my dad?"

"Now you can see why your dad was so upset at seeing him again."

"I sure would be mad."

"Yep." Brennan nodded.

"Bones?" Parker said as he watched her eyebrow raise in question. "You're the coolest adult I know."

"Well… thank you, Parker." She said, her voice showing her surprise.

"Thanks for telling me the truth. I promise, I'll keep it a secret." He said with a smile, looking up as Brennan nodded. "Hey, there's dad…" He said, pointing out the window. "I'll be right back, I have to run to the bathroom." He said with a smile as he ran for the bathroom without a response.

Brennan looked up as the waitress brought their food, looking down at her, she smiled. "Thanks." Brennan said as she placed the three meals on the table. Just as the waitress walked away, Booth sat in the chair beside Brennan.

"Just in time." He said with a sigh, sitting beside his girlfriend. "Where's Parker?"

"He's in the bathroom." She nodded toward the room, and accepted the kiss he offered her as he leaned toward her. "How did it go?"

"Well, Bones." He smiled at Brennan and kissed her again. "It went very, very well." He said, reaching across to her plate, he stole a French fry, laughing when she slapped his invading hand away and shoved the fry in his mouth.


	168. Just Bones

"What did you get me?" Booth asked, his girlfriend's glare only brought a smile to his face.

"Booth, if you ask me one more time, I'm giving your gift to your son." She replied over the Christmas eve dinner table, and Parker's jaw dropped.

"Awesome!" Parker exclaimed as Brennan gave him a sideways look, a giggle cascading over the table as they sat at Brennan's table.

"Funny." Brennan laughed.

"If you tell me what Bones got me for Christmas, I'll tell you what she got you." Booth said as Brennan's jaw dropped as she walked behind the boy, as soon as he gasped, she covered his mouth with her hand. Booth laughed as Parker giggled behind her hand.

"He's not going to tell me, Bones." Booth laughed. "He knows you'll kick his butt."

"Don't instigate him, Booth." She said with a pointed look as she released the little boy and put her hand on his shoulder as he looked up at her and grinned.

"I know better than to make you mad, Bones." He said, his grin infectious as she shook her head.

"I'm not sure if I should be happy that you're afraid of me, or concerned." She said as she started to clean off the table.

"Bones, you don't have to do that… I'll do that with Parker…"

"It's fine… I'm just cleaning off the dinner plates, and then I'll bring you boys some pie… you can do the dishes afterwards." She winked as he grinned, and she felt his arm around her as she lifted his plate up, she let him pull her into him. "Are you having a good Christmas vacation, Parker?" Brennan asked, watching the little boy's attention snap to her and his father.

"Oh yeah… it's been the best." He grinned, and she could feel Booth tugging her a bit, a little more of a hug as he silently thanked her for asking the question that he wanted to ask, but was afraid to hear the answer to. "Christmas with Mom is always at some boring ski club or whatever… and there are never any kids my age… and I have fun and all, but I would rather be home… with our Christmas tree, and stuff. Besides… you and dad are way cooler than any of Mom's boyfriends… they usually go and do their own thing and leave me to do whatever, and it gets so boring. I haven't been bored once with you guys." He said with a smile, drinking a sip of his water.

"I'm glad you're having a good time. I think you're dad is very happy to hear that." She said, giving Booth a little hip bump that made him smile. "I'll be right back, you boys hang onto your appetites until that pie is out here.

Parker waited until Brennan was out of earshot and sat down in his seat, looking across at his father somewhat nervously. "What's wrong, bub?" Booth asked, noting the look of concern on his son's face, he noticed Parker sigh.

"Nothing…" he shrugged as he sat back in his chair. His eyes were still happy, but his brow was furrowed in concern.

"You look like something is bothering you." Booth said, glancing toward the kitchen and then back at his son.

"Is grandpa Joe going to be at Dinner tomorrow?"

"I invited him." Booth nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you seemed so mad at him the other day… when he first was here, and I didn't understand why you were so mad at him. You never even told me that you had a dad." Parker shrugged."

"Well, everyone has a dad, silly." Booth said, trying to brush it off. From the serious look on his son's face, he could tell that Parker wasn't falling for his nice guy routine. "He wasn't one of the good guys when I was your age, Parker. That's all."

"So you're still mad at him for something?" Parker inquired, noting that his father seemed a bit uncomfortable at the questions, but not overly upset. Booth knew that the questions would come sooner or later, and he figured that maybe he should get some things out in the open, so that the boy didn't pry too much to the wrong people.

"Booth?" Brennan said from the doorway, his eyes flashed to her, and he knew that she was trying to give him an out. He visibly calmed with her presence and raised his eyebrows, showing her that he was okay. "Did you want ice cream with your pie?"

"Sure." He smiled, nodding his head to make sure that she understood that he was alright.

"You're sure?" She asked.

"It sounds great, Bones." He replied, watching her disappear back into the kitchen, he turned to his son and gave him a friendly smile. The boy could sense the calmness in his father's pause, and felt calm himself as he watched Booth try to find the words. "When you're a grown up… there are a lot of… stresses, you know? There are a lot more stresses than being a kid… and people choose to deal with them in their own way. For example… when Bones gets stressed out, do you know what she does?"

"Um... reads a book?"

"Sometimes… sometimes she reads… but most times… she goes to the lab and works. She's kind of weird in that way, work keeps her calm." He said with an endearing tone. "And you know me… I go to the shooting range… I let off a little steam and anger or whatever there. My dad… he used to get drunk… and when he was drunk, he could get pretty mean."

"Mean like how?"

"Just… really angry. Everything bothered him, and everyone was his enemy."

"And you were mad at him cuz he was mean to you?"

"Yeah… he was mean to me, he was mean to my little brother… and… you know, something like that… you don't forget."

"Then why were you nice to him later? Why did you invite him to dinner?"

"Because it takes a lot less effort to forgive someone, than it does to be angry with them, Parker." He said, not noticing Brennan standing in the doorway with two plates of pie.

"But it takes a brave and honorable man to look past a person's past indiscretions and be civil toward them, even if there is no cause for forgiveness." She said, as Booth's eyes clashed with hers.

"Thanks, Bones." He said softly.

"I only speak the truth." She said, placing the plate in front of Parker, and one in front of Booth, as his arm moved around her waist and he pulled her closer.

"I've heard that about you." He said, looking up at her as she smiled, leaning down, she gave him a tender hug.

"Now eat your pie." She teased, as she walked back toward the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" He asked, as she turned to face him as she pushed her back at the door.

"I'm going to get my ice cream…" She said, giving him an eye roll as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Parker looked up at Booth and shoved a forkful of pie in his mouth. He chewed it and smiled at his father. "Bones never answered my question you know…" He said, watching Booth's eyebrows raise as he leaned forward a bit and looked his son in the eyes. "What do I call her when you guys get married?" He shrugged.

"You can call me 'Your almighty majesty'…" Brennan said from the doorway as she watched the boy's eyes widen.

"What?"

"She's got you there…" Booth shrugged. "She is majestic…"

"Dad!" Parker exclaimed.

"I'll also accept… 'your majesty', 'queen Temperance the great…'" She teased as she sat down at the table across from the two boys.

"I got it…" Booth said. "Queen of the lab!"

"Good one." She smiled slyly at him.

"How about I just call you Bones?" He asked, watching her curiously as she considered his question.

"Mmm…" She teased as the little boy watched her eye open and look to him. "Okay… I believe I could answer to that moniker." She said, watching Parker's eyebrow rise. "Bones is just fine."

"That she is…" Booth muttered, glad to receive the eye roll, followed by a slight blush to her cheeks as she shook her head and laughed.


	169. Heimlich Your Plate Clean

Christmas morning sprang on them as if it came out of nowhere. Booth rolled over to find that the other side of the bed was empty, and upon further inspection, he even found that the sheets were cool from lack of contact with her warm body. His face scrunched into a look of confusion as he climbed from the bed, listening for the sound of movement through the rest of the apartment. He stepped over to the door to the bedroom as he pulled on a pair of sweat pants, and opened it slowly.

He was instantly smacked with the smell of coffee, and from the cacophony of sounds coming from the kitchen, he knew that Brennan had already started breakfast. He walked slowly down the hallway and his eyes widened when he noticed the increased number of gifts beneath the tree since he had gone to bed. The living room was nearly filled with brightly colored packages, and when he had gone to bed there had been just a few things beneath it for Parker.

He stepped around the corner of the kitchen and held the frame for a moment, watching her move quickly around the kitchen as she prepared their breakfast. "How long have you been awake?" She asked, still not turning around as she walked to the refrigerator and opened the door, looking over to him as he grinned brightly.

"Just a couple of minutes." He said, still hanging on the door frame. "How long have you been awake?"

"Just a couple of hours." She said, walking toward him, he pulled himself into the room and leaned against the wall as she approached him, pushing her body against him as she rested her forehead on his. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." He whispered, dropping a kiss on her lips as she smiled against his mouth, her arms wrapping around him and her head resting on his chest. "I noticed… there um… there seems to be a few extra things out there under the tree." He said, watching the faux confused look on her face as she tried so hard not to smile.

"I don't know what that means…" She said, her eyes sparkling back at him.

"Bones… we agreed, only gifts for Parker."

"Those gifts are all for Parker." She said honestly. "Though, the gift from the two of us to you is also in the mix, but they're all for him."

"You're spoiling him, Bones." Booth whispered.

"A child is only spoiled if he asked for all of these things, and got everything that he wanted. I assure you, there are gifts that he didn't ask for… and boring gifts… and things that you both can use to amuse yourselves when I'm not around."

"See, those gifts are going to go to waste." He said with a smile as she shook her head. "Because you're always going to be around." He said, watching her roll her eyes as she tried to escape his embrace.

"Coffee is in the coffee pot… I decided to make breakfast, since you have insisted on making dinner tonight… the eggs and sausage are almost done, and if Parker doesn't wake up soon… we're going to have to…"

"Holy cow!" Parker exclaimed from the living room as Booth and Brennan's eyes met, and she grinned.

"And you were saying?" Booth asked, hearing the sound of his son's feet pounding toward the kitchen, Booth glanced to his side just as the boy slid into the kitchen.

"Guys! Did you see under the tree? There have to be a million presents under there!" He exclaimed.

"I'm fairly sure that your estimation is incorrect." Brennan said as she watched Parker look to his father.

"When can we open them? Can we open them now? Please dad? Please? Please?"

"Yes…" Booth replied as Parker as his father grabbed him before he took off into the living room. "We can open them after we have breakfast."

"Aw, Dad!" Parker exclaimed with a sigh. "Can I at least go shake them?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

"No shaking… no knocking into them, no lifting… nothing…" Booth replied, catching Brennan's amused look. "I blame you for this, you know…"

"For what? His excitement, or his irritation that you won't let him touch his gifts."

"Both of them." He said, pretending to glare at her.

"It's a small price to pay…" She said as she stepped to the stove, and turned to Parker. "Park… breakfast would go a lot faster if you helped get the table ready with dishes and silverware."

"I'm on it!" The boy exclaimed as he ran at full speed for the cupboards, missing the look of satisfaction on Brennan's face as Booth rolled his eyes and leaned against the door frame, watching his two favorite people in the world prepare Christmas breakfast.

* * *

Breakfast was eaten with an air of excitement. Inquiring eyes continued to snap toward the doorway as Booth watched his son literally wiggle in his seat as he munched each bite of his breakfast quickly and without want for nothing more than to rampage into the living room like a rabid beast.

"Parker?" Booth said for the fourth time, the boy's attention snapped to his father, and their eyes met. "Do you even taste your breakfast?"

"Huh?"

"Have you been chewing?"

"What?"

"Parker, I think your father is suggesting that you're a bit pre-occupied by something." Brennan tossed in.

The boy's only response was a grin. "Sorry." He laughed.

"It's fine." Temperance smiled.

"Bones?" Parker asked, watching as her attention rested solely on him. "Are you and dad going to move in together?" He asked, noticing that Booth was remaining very silent during the entire conversation, he just ate his breakfast quietly.

"I suppose that our relationship has come to that… since your father and I are engaged, I'm sure that will come up as a subject."

"Are you going to have tons of babies?" Parker asked, and this time Booth did have a reaction. The coffee he had just sipped found its way into his windpipe, and he was trying desperately not to react. Brennan turned to face him and noticed that his face was red, and he was in some kind of distress.

"Booth? Booth, are you alright?" She asked, as he closed his eyes tightly and tried to ward off the cough that was going to come, he covered his mouth with a napkin and turned. "Booth, are you choking?"

He continued to cough into the napkin, Brennan's hand patting him on the back as he took deep breaths between loud, vibrating coughs.

"Geez, dad… smoke another one…" Parker said as Booth looked toward his son and blinked his eyes.

"Where did you even hear that?" Booth asked, his face still red, his eyes watering as he took deep breaths, the amused look on Brennan's face not helping.

"Parker… why don't you go grab the stockings off the mantle… and settle on the couch… we'll be in there in a minute, and we'll start opening the presents." Brennan said softly as Parker nodded, climbing from his chair.

"You okay, Dad?"

"I'm fine… just…" He coughed. "Go on…" He said, wiping his tears as Parker grinned and took off for the living room, Brennan continued to pat his back.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She whispered, watching his face as it returned to its normal color.

"I'm fine… I'm fine…" Booth nodded, a grin on his face as he wiped his eye again. "Sometimes that kid just…" Booth trailed off, laughing.

"He does have impeccable timing, doesn't he?" Brennan laughed as she stood up, preparing to clean the table off, his hand found its way to hers.

"You go in there and keep an eye on him… I'll clean the table off."

"Thank you…" She said with a sweet smile as he stood, pulling her to him as he kissed her forehead.

"Don't thank me… I am sending you in there because he knows you'll kick his butt if he touches anything. I am convinced he doesn't take my threats seriously anymore."

"I'm sure there is a very good reason for that." She whispered, leaning up to kiss his lips tenderly before sending him a sly smile, before disappearing through the doorway toward the living room.


	170. The Littlest Big Gift

The frenzy to open gifts took a little over an hour, and Booth and Brennan watched as Parker lay on the floor amid the wrapping paper, a bright grin plastered on his face as he looked up at the two adults. "Hey guys…?" He said happily. "Look, I'm making wrapping paper angels…" He said as he moved his arms up and down, his legs back and forth as if he were making a snow angel.

"You're no angel…" Booth teased, feeling a light elbow in his side as he glanced to Brennan. "Hey…"

"Be nice." She said, watching as the little boy leapt to his feet and grinned at the two of them.

"Okay… I'm ready…"

"Good." Brennan said with a wink as she pulled from Booth's embrace.

"Ready for what?" Booth asked, his eyes moving between the boy and Brennan as she stood up and took Parker's hand.

"We'll be right back." She said as she walked with Parker down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" He called down the hall, watching them both disappear into Parker's room. "Hey, she's mine!" Booth called down the hallway as Brennan popped her head from the room and gave him a confused look. "I mean…" He said as she stepped back into Parker's room.

He waited, his eyes glued on the hallway as they both appeared outside the door, Parker holding a box in his hands with a big grin on his face. Brennan watched Booth's eyes light up and he grinned. "You didn't even know where we were hiding it!" Parker exclaimed as he walked down the hallway quickly with the box, Brennan close behind.

"I thought you already gave me my gift…" He said, pointing to the socks on his feet that matched Brennan's and Parker's.

"Why would we hide socks from you?" Brennan laughed. "That's ridiculous."

"I don't know… because I'm a sock fan…?" He asked, watching confusion cloud Brennan's eyes. "Nevermind… gimme, gimme…" He said, reaching for the gift.

"Wait." Brennan said as she nodded toward the couch, where Parker slipped up onto the seat and held the box in his arms. "I just want to say… that…"

"Don't give it away, Bones!" Parker exclaimed.

"I'm not… I was just going to say…" She said as she took the box from Parker and set it in his lap. "I hope that you're very happy together." She said, putting it on his lap as he gave her a confused look. "Open it."

"Okay…" He said, pulling the wrapper from the box, he revealed a plain cardboard box with no markings. He shook it a little and put it to his ear.

"It's not a bomb, Dad." He said, looking at the glare from his father. "I promise." He laughed.

Booth looked to Brennan and gave her a scrutinizing glare. "Just open it, or I will." She said, reaching forward to grab the box, he ripped the top open and pulled out the object from inside it.

"A motorcycle helmet?" He asked, looking up at Brennan as she nodded toward the box. He reached inside, and pulled out a picture of a bike. "You're giving me your bike?" He asked incredulously.

"It's in perfect condition… not at all what you might describe as 'girly'." She explained. "You don't want it?" She asked, pulling the picture from his hands, she looked at it for a moment before he grabbed it back.

"No! Of course I want it!" He exclaimed, looking at the picture, a grin spread over his face.

"Isn't Bones awesome?" Parker asked. "Not only did she give you a motorcycle! But she gave you HER motorcycle… how many girls do you know that have a motorcycle, Dad? None, I bet!" Parker went on and on as Booth just smiled up at Brennan, who shook her head and laughed.

"I thought you said that motorcycles are dangerous."

"They are." She replied, patting the helmet. "So wear the helmet." She said with a smile. "Okay…" She said, clearing her throat. "One more gift…"

"One more gift?" Booth asked.

"Yes… I thought it was customary for someone to give their loved ones one… large gift along with the other smaller gifts." She said, tipping her head as Booth shook his head.

"Bones, you bought him two types of game systems with ten games each… you bought him enough clothes to get him through to college… you got him a new hockey stick, and season tickets to the Capitals… and now you're saying that there's a 'bigger' gift?"

"Um…" Brennan said, cringing a bit. "Well… for starters, the season tickets were for all three of us… so that doesn't count." She replied. "And the game systems… those are for both of you."

"It only said my name on the wrapping paper." Parker said, getting a fake glare from Booth, he stuck his tongue out.

"Hey…" Booth glared.

"Sorry." Parker smiled.

"So you don't think I should give him this last gift?" Brennan asked.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Parker exclaimed.

"Nah… maybe you should wait for his birthday…"

"Dad!" He exclaimed, his voice sounding more like a whine.

"When is his birthday?" Brennan asked, "October?"

"Bones!" Parker exclaimed. "Bones! You already got the gift, why would you just waste it like that?" Parker whined as Brennan tried so hard not to smile. "You guys are messing with me!" He exclaimed.

"Would we do that?" Booth asked as Brennan laughed.

"Yes!" Parker said with a huff.

"Maybe we should give it to him… so he'll quit complaining."

"I'll never complain again!" Parker exclaimed as Brennan glanced at Booth.

"Was that a lie?"

"Sounded like a lie…" Booth said, glancing to Parker, who by now looked less than amused.

"Guys!" He exclaimed, burying his head in his lap, he listened to the two adults laughing lightly.

"I'll be right back…" Brennan said, leaning down to kiss Booth tenderly, she walked around the couch and slipped her slippers on as she walked out the door of the apartment. Parker looked up and glanced to Booth.

"Where is she going?"

"Probably to get your gift." He said, watching Parker climb onto his knees and look toward the door anxiously.

"Do you know what it is?"

"Of course I do."

"What is it?"

"It's…" He said, watching Parker's eyes light up. "I am not going to tell you!" He said as Parker sighed.

"She's taking a REALLY long time…" Parker sighed.

"She's been out of the room for like ten seconds…" Booth said, nudging his son. "Sit down and be patient."

"But Dad… come on, you have to admit… all of the cool things Bones got us… and this is the 'BIG' gift!"

"I think she's really spoiled you…"

Parker looked at his dad and smirked, lifting his arm, he sniffed his armpit. "Yep… smells about right…"

"Parker, that's disg…" He was then interrupted by the door opening slightly, and Brennan's head looking in at them.

"Are you ready?" She asked, the smile never leaving her face.

"Yes!" Parker exclaimed, scrambling onto the back of the couch, he sat perched atop it as Brennan opened the door. She stepped inside, and to Parker's surprise and delight, was being led by a small brown, and quite floppy eared puppy, who ran happily into the room. "NO way!" Parker exclaimed, leaping from the couch, the puppy didn't blink an eye, as Parker landed and immediately crossed his legs, gathering the small dog into his arms as he began to giggle, the pink tongue lapping up every bit of little boy that he could. "This is…. The best… best present ever!" He exclaimed as he laughed, looking up at Bones and Booth, who watched as the puppy nipped and kissed his new owner with all the love that a puppy can give.


	171. Free Thinking, Rogue Rebel

Brennan was sitting on the couch watching Parker play with his new friend, tugging on a rope playfully as the boy laughed. "So he's all mine?" Parker asked, looking to Brennan, who nodded with a smile.

"He's ours…" Brennan said with a smile, watching the little boy's excitement dissipate a little. "All that means is that if you take good care of him, then we'll take care of the vet bills and the food purchasing." Brennan said, watching the smile on his face brighten. "You don't mind that he stays with your dad and me, right?"

"Nah, it gives me a great reason for mom to let me come and see dad!" He said with a laugh as he giggled at the puppy as he nipped at him. "He's really cute…" Parker giggled.

"Have you thought of a name for him yet?"

"I don't know…" Parker said thoughtfully. "It might take a couple of days to come up with a good one. We'll have to find one that he likes too."

"Well, we got a nice kennel for him to sleep in at night, and some pretty durable puppy toys, so that should keep him occupied for a little while."

"Does he have to sleep in the kennel?"

"He probably should, we don't want him to think that he can just jump up on furniture." She said. "It's going to be your responsibility to ensure that he behaves appropriately, though… puppies are a lot of responsibility."

Parker giggled as the puppy leapt into his arms as the boy tugged the rope again. "It's good practice for when you and dad have kids, huh?"

Brennan gave the boy a sly grin and she shook her head. "You know… that kind of stuff might rattle your dad… but you're not going to get to me." She said as the boy let out a joyful laugh.

"What? I was just asking…" He shrugged innocently.

"What were you just asking?" Booth asked, stepping from the kitchen, he looked between Brennan and Parker. "What are you two conspiring about?"

"You do realize that you're beginning to sound more and more like Hodgins with your conspiracy theories, don't you?" She asked, standing up, she kissed his cheek as she walked down the hallway toward the bedroom.

"Hey! Who do you think you are telling me that I sound like Hodgins?" He asked as she turned at the bedroom and shot him a confused look, his eyes narrowed.

"What?" She asked, an innocent smile on her face as she shook her head. "Why don't you close your mouth let our guests in…" She winked.

"What guests?" He asks as the doorbell rang. His head snapped in that direction, and when he turned back to where Brennan had been, she was already in the bedroom. "How did you do that?" He called, hearing her laughter from the bedroom.

Booth walked through the living room and glanced to Parker on the way. "Just hold onto him, okay?" He said, watching Parker nod his head. He stepped to the door and opened it, smiling at the person on the other side. "Hey, Dad." Booth said as he shook his father's hand. "We're glad you could make it… You're the first one here, come on in." He said, and his voice sounded a bit nervous, but he was all for giving this a go. Bygones were going to be bygones, and he was big enough to defend himself, physically and emotionally. "Come on in, Bones will be out in a second, Parker is right…" Booth turned to see his son sitting where he had just seen him, but noticed that the boy and his puppy were nowhere in sight. "Well, he's around here somewhere, have a seat…" He said, nodding toward the couch, he looked down the hallway.

Brennan heard the door open, and Booth talking to someone at the door, as she stood in the bathroom washing her hands, she turned the water off and stepped into the bedroom as she dried her hands off. She was about to walk around the bed when she heard what she thought was whimpering from under the bed. Slowly, she walked to the bed, and climbed atop it, hanging upside down. "Parker?"

"Hi, Bones." He said from under the bed, as if this were a typical place to find a little boy. He was snuggling with the puppy under the bed, who appeared to be gnawing on his arm to escape.

"Why are you hiding under the bed?"

"I'm not hiding." He said, hearing the dog whimper again, she held her arms out to the boy, who reluctantly gave up his hold on the little dog. "I'm just here."

"Why are you there?" She asked.

"No reason." He said as they both heard the steps of someone else coming down the hallway. "Don't tell him I'm here." He whispered as Brennan sat up on the bed quickly, just as Booth walked in. She was sitting with the puppy on her lap, and pointed under the bed, shaking her head.

"Hey." She said with a smile, as she shrugged.

"Hey, my dad is here." He said, pointing to under the bed, and she nodded.

"Alright, that means everyone else will be here soon." She said, shrugging when she stood up, he nodded to the door and she shook her head, pointing to him, she pointed to the door, indicating that she'd take care of Parker.

"Okay… well, I'll go talk to him… and um… get ready for everyone else, I guess."

"I'll be right out in a minute." She said, giving him a kiss, he shot her another confused look and she just pointed at the door, with her eyebrows raised. "I'll be out in a minute." She repeated, opening the door, she closed it behind him after she practically pushed him out of the bedroom, his concern for his son was quite obvious.

She turned and lay on the floor, allowing the puppy to roam free as she lay on her belly looking under the bed. "Is that what you're nervous about? Your grandfather?"

"I'm not nervous." He said stubbornly.

"I'd believe that if you weren't breathing in large numbers of dust particles under the bed right now." She said, holding her hand out to him. "It's okay to be nervous."

"I'm not."

"I'm a little nervous." She shrugged, watching as the boy's eyes met hers.

"You are?" He asked.

"Of course… new people make me nervous." She replied. "I don't trust many people, and those that I do trust… it takes them a very long time to gain it."

"Do you trust Grandpa Joe?" Parker whispered.

"I trust him enough to know he won't do anything to harm me, you, or your father…"

"He used to hit kids." Parker replied.

"Yeah… but there were underlying reasons for his actions, and though those things are in the past… it's hard to forget them."

"It makes me mad." Parker whispered.

"I know…" She nodded at him, her hand reaching beneath the bed, he grasped it. "It makes me mad too." She gave him a friendly smile and watched him sigh. "But think of it this way… your dad… he's a smart guy, and he loves you very, very much. He would never, ever bring someone into your life, into his home without truly believing that you are safe."

"He loves you a lot too, Bones." Parker replied as he felt something tugging at his shirt, he started to giggle. "He's pulling on me!" He laughed as Brennan watched the boy try to reach the puppy behind him.

"See, even he wants you to get out of there…" She laughed. "Hey… I'll be by your side all day long… there will be other people here, you've got nothing to worry about, okay?"

"Okay…" He giggled as the puppy continued pulling. "Help, Bones… he's going to bite me!" He laughed as she reached under and grabbed his hand, pulling him, and the puppy out at the same time. The little dog had quite a grip on the boy's shirt as he pulled. "Bones!" He giggled.

"I got him, I got him… you little rebel, you…" She joked as she disconnected the puppy from the boy's shirt.

"That's it!" Parker said with a laugh.

"What's 'it'?" She asked, helping the boy to his feet as she stood up as well, holding the little dog.

"His name… that's his name… Rebel!"

"Really? You like that?"

"Yeah!" Parker said excitedly as he gathered the dog in his arms, feeling his little pink tongue cleaning the dust from his face. "It's a perfect name!" He laughed, as he held the dog up. "Haha… stop licking me, Rebel…" He laughed as Brennan looked down at him with a tender hand on his head.

"So we'll stick together, right?"

"Yeah… You, me and Rebel…" Parker smiled. "And dad… maybe… as long as you two don't get too kissy faced…" He said as he walked toward the door, swinging it open, the boy walked out in front of Brennan, missing the dropped jaw, but still hearing the humored laugh that followed.


	172. Charming and Disarming

Brennan was just stepping out of the bedroom when she was met by the imposing chest of Booth. "Booth, what are you doing?" She asked, noticing that Cam had just arrived with Michelle, and was talking with Booth's dad and Parker was just stepping into the living room with Rebel.

"Bedroom."

"Booth, we have guests." She said, watching his eyes widen for a second before he realized she was joking.

"Oh, funny, Bones." He said as he closed the door behind him. "What's going on with Parker?"

"Nothing… he was just nervous about our guests."

"Nervous about my dad?"

"Partly, yes. Booth, we have guests," Brennan insisted as she tried to get past him.

"No, no… not so fast," he replied, grabbing her hand, she let him pull her to him.

"What?" she giggled as he dropped a kiss on her nose and reached into his pocket. He grabbed her hand.

"Booth…"

"I needed to give you another gift." He said, smiling as he slipped a diamond ring on her finger. "I thought since you branded me… I'd brand you right back."

"How thoughtful, and completely chauvinistic of you." She said with a sly grin, pushing herself into him as she leaned up to catch his lips with hers.

"See, I knew you'd appreciate it." He said with a roll to his eyes that made her giggle. "Did you tell anyone yet?" He whispered.

"No." She shook her head. "Did you tell anyone?"

"Only my dad and Parker…" He said, his eyes widening.

"Who are both out there with Cam and Michelle…" She grinned as he practically threw her out of the way as she laughed, he swung the door open and ran down the hallway sliding into the living room as Cam looked up from where she was sitting.

"Something wrong, kid?" Joe asked as Booth looked a little surprised to have made it to the living room so quickly.

"Huh? No… no… Where's Parker?"

"Kitchen , I think he went to get the puppy some water. You okay, Seeley?" Cam asked, her eyes flickering to Booth's father and back to the startled man before them.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm good…" He smiled, turning to see Brennan coming down the hallway shaking her head.

"Doctor Brennan." Cam smiled, standing up to greet the other host of the Christmas dinner, Brennan stepped forward and gave a friendly hug.

"Don't mind him." Brennan said, nudging Booth as Cam sat back down. "He's had a little too much hot cocoa today." She said as she watched his faux glare as she walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To answer the door." She said, just as the doorbell rang, his eyes widened.

"That is the second time she's done that!" Booth said as he watched Brennan open the door, and she was instantly embraced by Angela, who immediately saw the ring on her finger.

"Holy crap, Bren! I am so mad at you!" Angela exclaimed as Hodgins tried to see around the two women, Booth waved him around and pushed the door closed as he maneuvered the two women to the side as they talked about the past couple of days they hadn't seen one another, and Booth introduced his father to Hodgins, and when Angela was through with Brennan, he introduced her as well.

"I'll be right back." Booth said, nodding toward the kitchen as Brennan nodded her head, watching Booth disappear into the kitchen.

Booth stepped in the door and saw his son's legs sticking out from beside the small counter, a puppy's tail wagging happily on his lap. "Parker?"

"Hey Dad." He said quietly, looking around the corner, up at his father.

"There are quite a few guests here… why don't you go and say hi."

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I said hi to Grandpa Joe, Doctor Saroyan and Michelle."

"Angela and Hodgins are here… why don't you go on in there and say hi, tell them about your presents… show them your puppy." He said, as he crouched by his son and pet the little dog.

"Me and Bones named him Rebel." He said to his father, smiling as the puppy tugged at Booth's shirt sleeve.

"Rebel… that's a good name." Booth smiled. He paused for a second, watching the boy as he became thoughtful. "You don't have to worry about Grandpa Joe, buddy… he's not the same guy that I knew when I was a kid."

"People don't change, Dad."

"They do if they aren't doing the one thing that made them a bad person."

"Like drink too much?"

"Yeah… he's not drinking… he's not that guy. Besides, do you think I'm going to let anyone hurt me?" He asked sincerely, a friendly smile on his face as Parker smiled.

"Do you think Bones would let anyone hurt you, Dad?" Parker laughed.

"No way…"

"Well, what do I talk to him about then? Cuz when I look at him, all I think about is how mad I am about it."

"Talk to him about baseball… talk to him about… Rebel here…just be a friendly guy."

"Dad?" He said, his voice sincere as he smiled, Booth thought for sure there was another serious question on the way.

"What, bub?"

"When is dinner? I'm starving." He said as Booth shook his head and laughed, ruffling his son's hair.

"As soon as the table is set and everyone gets here… Smarty pants." He said as he looked up as the doorbell rang again. "That's probably Sweets… he offered to pick up your Pops…" He said as he nodded toward the door. "You better get in there and say hey before Pops thinks you forgot about him."

"I might forget to clean my room or brush my teeth… but I'd never forget Pops." He said with a grin as he got up and put the puppy on the floor. "Come on, Rebel… let's go see Pops!" He said as he took off for the door, leaving Booth to pause for a moment as he watched his son disappear out the door, before he too stepped out as well, to check on the peace and joyfulness that was filling the living room area, and assess the situation between his father and grandfather, just in case there were any issues.

Booth stepped into the living room just as the door opened and Sweets walked inside, holding the door open as he smiled and thanked Brennan for opening the door, wishing her a Merry Christmas. He watched as Pops stepped in the room, and his father straightened himself on the couch as everyone talked happily and visited. They all appeared to be quite comfortable, but for the occasional glance to the two older men in the room, as Booth watched his father stand. Pops turned to Parker and said something to the boy as he hugged him, and approached Joe slowly.

Booth held his breath, as he watched his grandfather's hand clench a bit, before he reached his hand out to shake Joe's. Joe looked into his father's eyes, and Booth couldn't hear what he said, but he could see the sparkle of a tear in his grandfather's eye before the man reached his arms out and pulled his son into his arms. They chuckled and laughed for a moment, and Booth just stayed by the door, silent to the goings on before him. He felt someone's arm on his waist and felt Brennan's head rest on his shoulder a bit as he pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her head as he looked over the crowd as their friends and family visited.

"Hey Shrimp… why you just standing over there with your lady… come over here and join the party!" Pops called out as he waved his grandson over. "That sweet girl of yours still owes me a hug!" He said as Brennan kissed Booth's cheek and smiled as she approached Hank and Joe, just as the doorbell rang again. She hugged the older man and glanced to Booth, a confused look between the two of them as she moved toward the door as everyone visited and talked.

She looked through the peep hole and her brow furrowed, as Booth watched as he walked across the room. She opened the door, revealing none other than his brother, a smile on his face as she opened the door just a bit more, when suddenly Jared caught sight of his father across the room, and as soon as his hand touched Brennan's shoulder to push her out of the way to confront, Booth was on the move to disarm the situation, but that didn't last but for the millisecond it took for Brennan to grab Jared's arm, yank it behind his back and shove him out the door and into the hallway, letting it slam behind her before anyone had any idea what was going on.


	173. Fight For The Future

It didn't take but a moment for Booth to get to the door, climbing over guests and a puppy, their eyes went to the man who was frantically making his way to the door, only to disappear out of it with the other host. Booth stopped short as soon as the door closed, only to find his partner and fiancé with his brother pulled up against the wall, the side of his face pushed hard against the wall, as Brennan held him in place.

"Jesus, Seeley… call her off."

"First of all… no." He said as Brennan's eyes flickered a glance of appreciation as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you doing here, Jared?" Booth asked, leaning against the wall, watching his brother continue to be pushed into the wall by Brennan, struggling slightly.

"I was coming to surprise you guys, but it looks like the joke is on me, what is that son of a…" Brennan pulled him an inch from the wall and let him hit the wall hard with his head. "Hey, watch it, Tempe!" He whined.

"For your information, Jared… that son of a…"

"Bones!" Booth exclaimed as Brennan gave him a confused look before it slipped to one of slight irritation.

"For your information, Jared," she started again. "Your father is here as a part of this family. He was invited for Christmas dinner. We couldn't find you, therefore you weren't invited. If you can't treat this as a family dinner, and get along with everyone in that room… then you're not welcome here, are we clear?" Brennan growled in his ear.

"Seeley, she has her damn knee in my…"

"You're lucky she's got it there… if you keep it up, I'll let her put it someplace else, and very quickly… I kind of recommend that you agree to her terms… I think that it would just work out for all involved, including future generations." Booth said as he watched the smile grow on Brennan's face.

"Fine… fine, I'll behave, I'll behave…"

"You have to promise, Jared. Parker is here, and other guests… we do not want any trouble." Brennan said as she pushed him harder into the wall.

"I promise, I promise…" He said as she pushed him one more time into the wall, being sure to make him feel just a bit of pain as she pushed off him and let go of him, watching him straighten up as he turned against the wall.

"You really have to learn how to control your girlfriend man… she's dangerous." Jared said as he lifted his bag from the ground and glared at Brennan.

"Oh… I don't have to do anything. She's sweet." He said, as Brennan's nose was in the air with that smarmy smile, her body swaying to meet his, she grinned at him and he dropped a kiss on her nose. "Sweet as sugar."

"You're sweeter," she said in a low growl, her eyes sparkling at him as they blocked the door to the apartment as Jared stood just to the side of them.

"I don't think so… you're just a little bit sweeter than me." He said, holding his fingers up, she shook her head and he nodded, and he sighed as she narrowed her eyes, biting her lower lip.

"Oh my God… will you two just get a room already!" Jared exclaimed as Brennan's glare was suddenly on him. She turned to face him and his hands went up in retreat. "Hey, hey… sorry…" He said as she smirked and turned her attention back to Booth.

"I think he's suitably scared, don't you?" She asked.

"I don't know… I thought it was kind of hot how you roughed him up." He said with a cocky grin, his eyes never leaving hers. They could sense how uncomfortable Jared was, and were just basking in it for a moment.

"Want me to do it again?" She asked with a smile.

"I think we're good." He winked, and both of them turned toward the obviously irritated man standing beside them. "So… Dad, Pops… they're okay right now… you and Dad are going to have to work something out, alright?"

"If he pisses me off, I'll go in another room."

"Good."

"Now get your lecherous paws off your girlfriend and let's go inside." He said as he pushed both of them toward the door as he heard Brennan laugh.

"For the record, Jared… I'm his fiancé…" she said, lifting her hand to wave the ring in his face, he watched Jared's eyes widen and his jaw drop.

"Haha…" Booth laughed. "You were beaten up by your future sister in law…" He said as he opened the door to the apartment, pulling Brennan alongside him with a kiss to her cheek as they entered the apartment full of people, who were more than ready to start Christmas dinner.


	174. Yet ANOTHER Filler Chapter

The three of them stepped in the room and immediately, Booth clapped his hands. "Okay everyone… its just about time to eat!" He said, noting that Jared and his father were amidst a staring contest for a moment. "Everyone… this is Jared… you all know Jared. He stopped by to help us celebrate Christmas…"

"Hi Uncle Jared!" Parker exclaimed from the floor beside Angela, where his new puppy was tugging at his sleeve. Jared gave Parker a wave, and his eyes flashed back to his father, and then to Brennan, who was giving him a warning glare.

"Hey everyone." Jared said, feeling a bit of a chill down his spine at the look on Temperance's face. He had learned a long time ago not to mess with her, and since Booth and she had been dating, that truth was all the more correct.

"Jared is going to help me in the kitchen…" Booth declared as he glanced back to Brennan, who gave him a look as if she knew he was up to something. He simply gave her his cocky grin and walked with his hand on his brother's shoulder, leading him toward the kitchen.

As soon as they stepped into the kitchen, Jared turned around. "Okay, since when does Tempe fight your battles for you?"

"She doesn't… she just got to you first." He said, walking past his brother, he pointed at him. "And you're lucky she did… because if you went at Dad, I swear I would have pulled my gun on you."

"I can't believe you invited him here." Jared said as he started to pace. "I can't believe that you can stand to look at his face without being sick. I can't believe… you, of all people."

"Jared." Booth said as he turned around and came face to face with his brother. "It's fine, really."

"How did he find you, anyway?"

"I'm in the phone book, moron." Booth said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh." Jared said, leaning against the counter as Booth continued stirring the sauce, he bent down to get a bowl and glanced to his brother. "What's for dinner?"

"Lasagna… the plates are in that cupboard… get out one for you… where is Padme?"

"Oh… she is visiting her parents, but I thought since this was your first Christmas with Parker all week, and Tempe… that you wouldn't mind if I dropped in." Jared replied.

"Do you need money?" He asked, standing up to face his brother, Jared gave him an irritated look.

"Why do you think when I show up out of the blue I want money?"

"How much do you need?"

"Just three hundred." He shrugged. "I mean, if you can spot me… no big deal if you can't, but since you have your sugar mama in there, I figured…"

"Do you really want a broken arm?" Booth asked.

"Tempe wouldn't really hurt me." Jared laughed.

"I'm not talking about Bones… I'm talking about me. You better watch your mouth while you're here."

"Geez… you two are all about the violence." Jared rolled his eyes and walked to the pan, lifting the spoon to taste, his brother smacked his hand. "Hey…"

"That's dinner." He glared.

"I just wanted to…"

"Shut up and get the table ready. If you're going to barge in on Christmas, and eat my food, and ask me for money, you're going to do some work around here." Booth said, watching his brother glare as he pushed off the counter and walked toward the cupboard to finish getting things ready.

"Did he say why he's here?" Jared asked curiously. "I mean… it's been years, I mean… he just met Parker."

"He wanted to give me Mom's ring."

"He had her ring?"

"Yeah." Booth said, turning around he saw the look on his brother's face. "I thought he pawned it too."

"I saw the ring Tempe was wearing… that's not Mom's ring."

"I'm not giving that ring to Bones." Booth said, stirring the sauce, turning away from his brother.

"I don't understand. He wants you to give it to the person that you…"

"I'm not giving that ring to Bones, Jared. That ring represents the past… it represents pain. What I have with Bones is the opposite of anything I've ever felt in the past. She's my future."

"So it's better to just bury the past? Pretend like it didn't happen?"

"No." He said, glaring at his brother. "I'll share it with her, I share everything with her… but I'm not going to give her something that represents the pain that our family went through… the loss that we experienced."

"And you think that she really cares? You don't think that she'd think that you're being irrational and ridiculous?"

"I know she cares. She cares because I do." Booth said, putting the spoon next to the pan, he sighed as he looked in the pot.

"Hey." A voice came from the doorway, and Cam poked her head through. "Everything okay in here?"

"Did you hear any gunshots?" Booth joked, glancing at Jared, who let out a laugh. "We're fine, Cam. Thanks."

"Just checking…" She said, giving them a watchful glare as Booth finished up preparing the meal, and Jared made sure that the table was properly set, before they invited their guests into the dining room to continue their Christmas dinner.


	175. Shattered Into A Million Pieces

Dinner was through and the guests had trickled out of the apartment. Sweets had agreed to bring Pops back to the nursing home, and Cam and Michelle said goodnight to their hosts with a big hug and congratulations to both of them. Angela and Hodgins said their goodbyes and slipped out the door with a friendly hug and a wave. Brennan walked into the living room and sat down next to the little boy who looked like the day had absolutely worn him out. Parker leaned on her, and she put her arm around him as he cuddled into her.

Joe was sitting on the chair across from them, and Jared and Booth were in the kitchen doing the dishes from dinner and dessert. "Well, Temperance, it looks like you have done pretty good with those boys, keeping them in line and all."

"They're not really in need of that much guidance." Brennan said, watching the boy in her arms let his eyes close. "Well, that's untrue. Sometimes Jared is in need of a little help here and there, but in all I think the two of them have turned out to be two very well adjusted men."

"I'm talking about getting them to do the dishes."

She smiled slyly as she shrugged. "I made breakfast this morning, it's only fair."

"That-a- girl…" He chuckled. "So Jared is engaged also?"

"Yes. Padme, she was unable to make it for dinner… though I am sure their relationship is quite strong. She seems to be able to keep up with Jared, and it appears she loves him." She nodded, watching Joseph give her a curious look as he chuckled a bit again. He coughed and took a deep breath, covering his mouth as he coughed again. "Are you alright?" Brennan asked, watching him try to catch his breath.

* * *

"Dinner seemed to go off without a hitch, huh?" Booth said, putting the last dish in the dishwasher, he watched Jared lean against the sink for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess." Jared shrugged. "He didn't talk much."

"Well, he doesn't really know anyone all that well, what did you want him to do, tell everyone stories about how he used to smack us around?" Booth asked sarcastically in a whisper.

"I just don't get why you even invited him. You got the ring… you should have told him to get lost." Jared said, watching his brother's glare. "Sorry… geez… give me a break, okay? I was shocked. Surprised… caught off guard."

"Yeah." Booth rolled his eyes as he closed the dishwasher and started it.

"Speaking of Mom's ring though… if you're not going to give it to Tempe… can I have it?"

Booth didn't pause for even a second, he leaned on the counter and let out a laugh. "No."

"What do you mean, no? You're not giving it to Tempe, then I should get it."

"You're going to give it to Padme, or you're going to pawn it?" Booth asked, though he was only half joking with his question.

"What the hell is that supposed mean?" Jared asked, approaching his brother angrily.

"It means exactly what it sounds like." Booth said, glaring at his brother. "Dad gave the ring to me, it's mine."

"Yeah, well it sounds to me like you don't think that I'm any better than him." Jared said, shoving his brother with both hands, Booth held his hands up in defense, but made no moves. "You're such a goddamned peacekeeper, Seeley, walking, talking pussy whipped shell of a man." Jared said, pushing Booth again, Booth pushed off the sink and walked toward his brother.

"You had better stop this, right now." Booth growled.

"Why? What are you going to do? Call your girlfriend in here to fight your battles for you? I knew that you were a damned wimp, but I didn't think you'd actually let her fight your battles for you. You let that disgusting excuse of a father into your home, near your kid… and you let your girlfriend defend you."

"You want me to defend myself?" Booth asked with a quick raise of his eyebrows, before he glared once again. "You want me to defend myself, then fine… I'll defend myself!" He exclaimed, grabbing his brother by the shirt, he pushed his brother backwards, slamming his back against the bare wall, he could hear the dishes in the cupboard shake.

Jared grunted as he caught his breath, growling at his brother as he slammed his foot down on Booth's toe, Booth let out a yelp as he swung Jared around and pushed him to the floor, only to be toppled over and land on top of them as the two men wrestled and shouted at one another.

There was no one in the apartment that could tell you what happened next though Booth did notice the door to the kitchen swing open, and Brennan pulling at Jared, shouting at him to stop, shouting at Booth to stop. They were in the middle of their fight, the struggle fierce as spit flew with angry words, and fingernails scratched flesh, elbows and fists flying when suddenly the two of them shifted violently and an elbow swung sharply, hitting Brennan squarely in the eye, the two men's body sending her hurtling backwards into the cupboard as she slammed into the wall, her head slamming into the wall, dazing her for a moment.

"STOP!" She screamed, as both men did exactly what she screamed, she held her hand over her eye, trying to focus her vision on the scene before her.

Both men were on the ground, breathing heavily with hands clenched and teeth gnashed, but the pain filled shout of Brennan stopped them both. "Bones?" Booth whispered, immediately noticing that she was injured. "God, Bones!" He exclaimed as he slammed his brother into the ground and got up, rushing to her.

"No!" She shouted, holding her other hand out to him. "No… don't touch me… get out." She growled, pointing at the door. "Both of you, get out now!"

"Bones, are you…"

"Get out of my apartment, right now!" She exclaimed angrily. "You get out, and you get out! Now!" She shouted.

"Bones, I'm sorry… Bones, please, look at me…" Booth said as he wiped at the blood on his face from where his brother had punched him in the lip. "Bones… please?"

"Get away from me right now, Booth." She growled. "Don't touch me." She shook her head. "Your father is not doing well, take him to the hospital." She said, backing away, she pulled her hand from her eye and Booth gasped when he saw the swelling, and the bruise that was forming.

"Bones." He swallowed, tears springing to his eyes when he saw the injury.

"Just get out." She growled.

"Parker…" Booth whispered.

"Parker is staying right here… but you two are not allowed in this apartment until you can behave like two human beings." She growled, slapping Booth when he tried to touch her. "I can take care of myself." She growled at him. "Get out. You can spend your Christmas night without me." She said, sternly, seriously and angrily enough to nearly shatter Booth's hear t into a million pieces.


	176. Dead Man

Brennan stood in the kitchen, leaning against the counter as she listened to the men talking in the other room. She waited, and eventually heard the door close as the three older men left, leaving her and Parker alone in the apartment. She then began to pace back and forth in the kitchen, looking around at the mess that the two men had made in their tussle; she lifted her hand to her forehead and could feel the pain in her cheekbone, the tightness of the swelling was becoming painful and she continued to pace back and forth.

She walked to the cupboard and pulled down a rag, and a plastic bag as she moved toward the freezer and opened the door to get a couple of pieces of ice. She dropped a couple in the bag as she suddenly heard the skittering sound of puppy feet running toward her. She looked down to see Rebel come up to her quickly, slipping on the slick floor as he slid to a stop directly at her ankle. "Hey there little guy…" She said with a soft voice, unsure of where it came from, she knew that the little boy that owned that puppy wasn't far behind him. She turned but saw no indication of him, noticing the shadow behind the cupboard, trying to remain still. "Parker?" She said, waiting for him to acknowledge. She knew that he had heard the ruckus in the kitchen, and was positive that he had heard the yelling. She had literally jumped from the couch and obviously woken him when she ran in to the fight, and now she waited for him to look up at her. "Hey, it's alright." She said, waiting for him to look at her. "Parker, please?"

She closed the bag and wrapped the cloth around it, holding it to her eye, she let out a pain filled grunt. She waited another moment and watched a messy mop of blonde hair appear at the top of the cupboard, followed by two brown eyes. Then, she heard the gasp. "It's okay, Parker."

"What happened?" He whispered.

"It was an accident."

"Dad punched you in the face on accident?"

"Your father did not punch me in the face, Parker." She said sternly.

"You guys were shouting…there was fighting… you have ice on your face. Someone punched you."

"Nobody punched me, Parker. It was an accident." She said, still holding the ice to her face, she took a step forward.

"You and Dad are going to break up now, huh? You kicked him out."

"Yes, I did have him leave… I was upset."

"How did you get punched in the eye?" He whispered, still hiding behind the counter.

"I was trying to get your Uncle Jared and father to stop fighting, and they accidentally knocked into me." She replied.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Swear?"

"How will a curse word make something more true?" She asked, tipping her head curiously.

"Just say you 'swear'… like… you swear to tell the truth."

"Parker, have I ever lied to you?" She asked sincerely, watching the boy, as he came from behind the cupboard, he watched her and leaned against the counter.

"No."

"Well,I don't think that I am going to begin lying to you now." She replied pointedly.

He watched her curiously and walked toward her, looking up at her, he leaned against the counter, pushing off he reached his hand out. "Let me see." He said, holding his hand so she'd move the cloth.

"I'll be fine, Parker."

"Just let me see it. I had a black eye once… I got hit in the eye by a baseball, and man did it hurt!" He said, wiggling his finger so she'd show him the bruise.

"Parker…"

"Bones, don't be stubborn." He said, watching as she pulled the cloth from her eye, he gasped. "Woah…" He said, watching her scrunch her face, he smiled. "It doesn't look that bad." He giggled.

"Oh, you have me convinced." She said in a teasing voice as she looked down at the puppy that was wagging his tail at her. "Why don't you go get his leash… we'll take him for a little walk. I could use some fresh air." She said, putting the ice back on her eye.

"Yeah, you should keep the ice on there, Bones. It looks really bad." Parker said as he turned and ran from the room, leaving Brennan shaking her head as she moved toward the bathroom to take a look at the damage.

* * *

After about five minutes, Parker came running through the apartment with Rebel hot on his heels ready to go outside. He had his coat and mittens on and handed Brennan his hat. "Bones, can you put this on me? I can't do it with my mittens on."

"Well, don't you think it would have been logical for you to put your mittens on after you put your hat on?" She asked, setting the ice on the sink as she listened to the boy giggle as she fitted the winter cap on his head.

"Probably." He shrugged as he and Rebel went for the door. She glanced back to the ice and cloth and sighed as she left it on the sink and walked toward the door. She pulled her coat on and touched her face with her fingertips, feeling that some of the swelling had gone down, she was happy that nothing appeared to be broken or cracked, just bruised and irritated, much like her ego.

She slipped on her gloves and moved toward the door to the eager boy as he opened the door and practically skipped down the stairs with the puppy as Brennan locked the door and walked swiftly down the steps with him. They entered the lobby as Ray, the security guard for the building looked their way. "Hey Parker." He said happily, seeing the new addition to the family, he hadn't even looked to Brennan yet. "It looks like you had a very good Christmas."

"Sure did!" He said excitedly.

"Who is your new friend here?"

"This is Rebel." He said with a smile as Ray pet the little dog and looked up at Brennan, who was smiling tenderly, his jaw almost literally dropped as he stood quickly. "Oh my goodness, Doctor Brennan… what happened?"

"It was an accident, Ray." Parker piped in. "Dad didn't mean to punch her in the face."

"Parker!" Brennan replied.

"I mean Uncle Jared and Dad didn't mean to punch her in the face."

"Doctor Brennan, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Ray." She assured. "I just got in the middle of a fistfight between Booth and his brother, and it got out of hand…"

"I saw them leaving in quite a hurry... now that you mention it, they did look a little roughed up."

"Yes, they have quite a volatile relationship."

"Yeah, that's cuz…" Parker started to speak as Brennan started to usher him toward the door.

"We'll see you later, Ray… Rebel has to urinate, I'm sure." She said as he gave her a confused look as she quickly moved Parker out the door with the puppy and disappeared onto the sidewalk into the cold December air.

* * *

They were walking a little ways down the street, and Brennan heard her phone buzz in her pocket again. She looked at the message and sighed, a simple message, the same as the three previous messages.

**'I am sorry'**

She sighed and put it in her pocket as she walked with Parker down the sidewalk. "Bones?" he said as they walked slowly, the dog sniffing here and there as they went.

"Hm?" She said, watching the boy look up at her. "How long are you going to be mad at Dad?"

"I can't be certain, Parker."

"But you love him, right?"

"I do." She nodded.

"So you're not going to hate him forever, right?"

"I never said I hated him." She corrected. "I'm simply angry with him. He acted childishly, as did Jared… and in that act, they injured both themselves and me… embarrassed themselves in front of their father, embarrassed me. I was just telling you Grandpa Joe how well adjusted they are, and they had to go and prove me wrong."

"Well, they are brothers." Parker shrugged. "I mean, when you and dad have a baby, and him and I are brothers, I bet we'll fight."

"You're really not going to let that die, are you?" Brennan said, watching the boy's cocky grin that matched his father light up his face.

"It gets dad every single time." Parker laughed.

"I know, and it's cruel." She said, nudging the boy as he laughed, they turned around and walked back toward the apartment together.

"Am I staying with you tonight, Bones?"

"You are staying at my place tonight… we will wait to see what's happening with your dad and your grandpa, but I think I'm just going to be dropping you off at your dad's in the morning."

"Oh." He said, nodding his head.

"We'll figure something out, don't you worry." She said with a tender tone that earned her a slight smile from the boy.

They walked quietly together as they approached the apartment, and when she looked up, she was surprised to see a familiar figure walking up the front steps. She touched Parker's shoulder when she saw who it was. He stopped and they both froze. "We have to get in the car." She whispered in his ear.

"Why?" Parker whispered, recognizing the man at the door.

"Because if he sees my eye right now… your dad is going to be in very, very big trouble." She whispered, as Parker took a step back, but Rebel had other plans as he began to bark at a seemingly imposing fire hydrant sticking out of the snow bank, sending the man at the door's attention directly to Parker and Brennan.

"Tempe?" Max said, stepping down the steps, she watched his eyes widened as he approached them. "Oh my God, Tempe… what happened?" He said, approaching quickly.

"Dad's a dead man." Parker whispered, as Brennan grabbed his mitten covered hand and tugged it, to which the boy immediately hushed, as her father quickly approached.


	177. Mess with the Booth, You Get The Horns

It was after midnight when Booth pulled the SUV up to the front of Brennan's apartment. He knew it was a risky move, and he acknowledged the fact that she was angry with him. She hadn't answered any of his text messages with anything more than a 'yes' or 'no' if he asked a question regarding Parker, and other than that, his phone remained silent.

He looked up at her apartment, the light was still on, so he flipped the car into park and pulled his keys as he climbed from the car. He walked down to the stairs and climbed the steps, using the key that Brennan had made for him for the front doors, he walked in and saw Ray behind the security guard kiosk.

"Hey Ray." Booth said, catching a bit of a glare from the normally friendly man behind the counter. "Everything alright?" He asked, still no answer. He turned for the elevator and his face pinched to a confused expression, unsure of why Ray was in such an absolute foul mood, he waited for the elevator to get there and turned as it opened. He looked to Ray and sighed. "I hope you had a nice Christmas, Ray." He said, stepping into the elevator, he swore that he heard a grunt of some kind from the kiosk but there was no telling.

He rode the elevator to Brennan's apartment, stepping out into the hallway, he stepped up to the door and knocked lightly, waiting to see if she was willing to at least talk to him. He leaned his forehead against the door and sighed. "Bones, please?" He groaned against the wood, he knocked again. "Bones?"

He heard footsteps by the door and waited for a moment. He wanted to say more, but he wanted to look her in the eye when he said it. The door opened slowly, and the set of eyes he expected to be settling his on were not the ones that were on the other side of that door. He felt his throat tighten at the face on the other side of the door, and he suddenly felt dizzy, as the color drained from his face. "What do you want, Booth?" Max said, watching as Booth's look went from complete shock to defiance in less than fifteen seconds.

"I need Bones."

"She's sleeping." Max replied.

"I need to talk to her." He replied.

"She said that you sent her a message saying that you'd see her tomorrow."

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind." He said, clearing his throat. "Let me in, Max. I need to see her."

"She doesn't want to see you." Max replied.

Booth paused for a moment, his tongue settled at the roof of his mouth and his eyes narrowed at the older man in front of him. His words stung him deeply, and he had to remind himself that they may not be Brennan's words at all. This was, after all, her lying, thieving, con man of a father who was standing before him, and Booth sensed that he was going to close the door if he didn't say something quickly, so he slipped his foot forward and settled it between the door and the frame. "I want to hear her say that to me." He replied.

"She's sleeping, Booth."

"Well, my son is in that apartment, Max. So unless you want me to slam my shoulder into this door and knock both you and this door across that apartment, I suggest that you let me inside." He said, his voice was low and even, and Max knew it to be nothing less than the truth. His boy was in that apartment, and Max knew that he had no right to keep him from him.

Max nodded and Booth pulled his foot from the door, closing it for a moment to slide the chain lock, the door opened and Booth stepped inside, pulling his gloves off his hands as he looked around. The gifts had been neatly stacked beneath the tree, now unwrapped and boxes open, but for the most part the apartment appeared to be in order. Once Booth stepped into the apartment though, he wasn't sure what he should do. Max stood beside him, glancing to him and the apartment as Booth unbuttoned his coat. "How is your father?" Max asked, allowing Booth's attention to settle on the older man, he was surprised that Brennan had said anything.

"They're keeping him there for some tests." Booth replied.

"And your brother?" Max asked.

"I really don't give a… I don't know where he is." Booth replied, slipping his lower lip into his mouth, he felt the sting of the cut and tasted the miniscule traces of blood that still clung to his skin. "He took off after dad was admitted to the hospital. Is she actually sleeping, or is she just in her bedroom?" He asked.

"I think she's sleeping." He replied. "She explained that it was a long day, and she wanted to get some sleep." Max said as Booth took a step toward the hallway. "Booth, I don't think you should…"

"Relax, Max. I'm checking on Parker." He said as Max nodded his head and watched the man walk slowly down the hallway. He turned at the room that had once been Brennan's study, a room that she had pulled the accolades from the walls and replaced with pictures drawn by Parker, and slipped a small single bed into the corner for nights that he spent with she and his father. It had been her study, but somewhere in the mix of months together, it had slowly become 'Parker's room'. Booth stepped into the room quietly, and smiled at the site before him. The boy was sleeping on his side, his hand tucked beneath his pudgy cheek, his blonde, curly hair spread on the pillow, and he sighed softly as his eyes flickered as he dreamed. Booth's eyes moved to the kennel, sitting in the corner with the door wide open, and the small puppy was curled against the boy's legs, sleeping just as soundly as Parker. Booth let out a slight chuckle as he approached the bed, crouching down to his boy, he put his hand on his cheek, and kissed his forehead tenderly.

Parker's eyes opened slowly, a sleepy smile on his face at seeing his dad, he yawned against his pillow. "Hey Dad." He whispered.

"Hey little man."

"How is Grandpa Joe? Is he okay?"

"He's alright… they're keeping him in the hospital for some tests." Booth nodded. "How is Bones doing?" He whispered. "Did you take good care of her?"

"Yeah." Parker nodded sleepily.

"She's pretty mad at me, huh?"

"Yeah." He replied.

"So I should get her tons of flowers and chocolates, and beg at her feet for forgiveness, huh?"

"That would be a good start." Parker nodded with a sly smile.

"Her eye…"

"It's okay, Dad. She said it was an accident. I believe Bones, she wouldn't lie to me. She loves you, she's just embarrassed and upset."

"I know." He replied. "I screwed up, huh?"

"We all make mistakes." He said, patting his father's shoulder as Booth gave him a faux glare, eliciting a giggle from the boy.

"Are you going to go tell her that you're sorry?"

"I am going to give her a little bit of space. She deserves that much, huh?"

"Yeah." Parker nodded.

"She said she'd bring you by tomorrow, alright? I'll see you then."

"Okay."

"Did you have a good Christmas… even though I messed things up?"

"Nothing could have messed up Christmas, Dad. It was awesome." Parker replied with a smile. "Love you."

"Love you too, bub… take care of Bones for me."

"I will." Parker said, kissing his dad's cheek as Booth ran his fingers through his son's hair, before he gave the sleeping puppy a little pat and walked out into the hallway.

He looked down the hall, noting that Max wasn't in view, and he walked across to Brennan's room. He didn't know why, but he half expected the door to be locked, and when it wasn't, he turned the doorknob and looked inside at her sleeping form. She was lying on her side of the bed, curled around his pillow with her nose pressed into the fabric. He couldn't see the bruise from where he was sitting, her head was down and blocking his view of her face, but he could see by the way that she was breathing that she was sound asleep. He smiled slightly at the sight, knowing that she had a long day and had probably been exhausted, and a wave of guilt rose over his heart for a moment as he swallowed hard. "I love you, Bones." He said softly, waiting to see if she'd move, he was happy that he didn't rouse her. He gave a sad smile and stepped from the room, closing the door behind him as he walked down the hallway toward the door.

He was just stepping into the living room when he heard Max's voice. "You're leaving now?" Max asked.

"She needs her space." Booth replied, turning so that his eyes met Max's.

"Does she, now?" Max asked.

"Yeah, she does."

"And you're just going to leave your son here, your responsibility, and you're just going to…"

"Stop." Booth said, holding his hand out to the older man, he wanted to make things very clear to him. "Just stop right there, okay? Bones is a capable woman. She's strong, she's beautiful, she's kind and smart… but she is in no way a fling or a fall back plan, okay? She elected to keep Parker here tonight, she felt it was safer for him to be here, and I trust her. I'm not going to pull my son out of his bed simply because I made a poor decision and my girlfriend is pissed at me. If I wanted to take advice from someone about family and responsibility, Max, it wouldn't be from you." He said quickly, catching the older man's eyes narrowing. "I made a mistake, Bones knows it was a mistake, and I'm sure she told you that it was a mistake."

"She did."

"Of course she did. She has nothing to gain by embellishing the truth, she doesn't do that. I'm just going to let her have her space. She said she'll bring Parker by tomorrow, and I know that she will." He said, buttoning his coat, he slipped his gloves on. "Goodnight, Max." Booth said as he walked toward the door. He was putting on a brave face, but Max could see that he was breaking. "Just… be sure to turn the Christmas tree lights off before you leave or go to bed or whatever. I don't want a fire hazard." He said as he stepped toward the door.

"Booth?" Max said as the younger man opened the door, Booth turned to face him. "Thank you for giving her a memorable Christmas… despite… all of this." He nodded. "She said that it was perfect."

"I love her." Booth said simply as he turned and walked out of the apartment, closing the door solidly behind him as Max heard the sound of his retreating steps.


	178. Objectives In The Mirror

Sweets looked up when the door to his office opened. He was very surprised to see his next appointment walking into his office on time, something that rarely happened. As Booth stepped into the room, however, he noticed that one half of the team was missing.

"Where is Doctor Brennan?" Sweets asked, watching as Booth sat down.

"I have absolutely no idea." He grunted.

"Why not? Is there something wrong?" Sweets asked, standing up, he moved toward his chair.

"No." He said, with a glare that demonstrated that he meant business.

"Will she be joining us today?"

"I don't know." Booth replied.

"Agent Booth, if you and Doctor Brennan are having issues with your partnersh…"

"We're not having issues with our partnership. It's a long, boring , personal story… personal, Sweets… note that word. What goes on between Bones and me behind…" He was interrupted when the door opened, and Brennan came rushing in, she swung the door closed and turned toward Sweets.

"Sorry I'm late." She said as she walked around the couch and sat beside Booth, she looked up at Sweets and noticed his jaw drop. "I had an appointment this morning, and it ran a lot longer than I thought it would. What?"

Sweets saw her black eye and was at a loss for words. He started to point, and Booth spoke up. "Don't you dare go overanalyzing that. It was an accident." Booth said as he moved closer to Brennan, who moved slightly away from him, sending him a slight glare as he gave her a pleading look.

"An accident? How do you give someone a black eye on accident?"

"Agent Booth and his brother were fighting in my kitchen, and I tried to stop the altercation. In the process, I was injured." She nodded watching Sweets stare at them both, his mouth still slightly agape.

"Sweets, its fine, it's done with, over… I apologized, there's nothing to worry about… now where were we?"

"We can start with discussing why Doctor Brennan insists on sitting against the farthest end of the couch, and with every movement you've made toward her, she's moved away." Sweets replied.

"Again, Sweets… personal. You have your zone of truth, we have our pod of… personal stuff… it's like certain body parts… we're not going to show them to you unless we're in an intimate relationship… and we're not, so don't ask again."

"He's irritable because we haven't had intercourse in a couple of days." Brennan offered.

"Bones!" Booth said, turning toward her, she kept her eyes on Sweets.

"I can't say that I blame him." She shrugged. "The lack of sexual stimulation hasn't put me in a particularly good mood as of late."

"Why don't we start with why you're avoiding me?" Booth interrupted, clearing his throat.

"I'm not avoiding you." She said, turning her head toward him, she glared.

"You won't stay at my place, you won't let me stay at yours. You're avoiding me."

"I just thought that a little bit of time away from one another would be a good idea. It would force you to confront the foul feelings that you have toward your brother. We converse, we've visited your father in the hospital. I'm not shirking my responsibilities."

"Wait, Agent Booth… your father is in the hospital?" Sweets asked as Booth glared at him.

"Personal."

"Agent Booth, you can't use that word as if it's a safe word. If there are issues affecting the dynamic between the two of you, personal or not… they must be addressed. That is the point of therapy."

"I thought the point of therapy was to keep our partnership together, and discuss work related issues. We work well together. We don't have a case right now…"

"I can assure you, Doctor Sweets, that anything between Booth and I personally will not affect our professional relationship."

Brennan could see Booth glancing at her out of the corner of her eye, and refused to give him the satisfaction of eye contact. She crossed her legs and sighed faintly.

"We're going to have to discuss this to some degree." Sweets insisted. "Let's begin with Christmas, shall we? It was a delicious meal."

"Thanks." Booth grunted, still staring at his partner, whose attention was on Sweets.

"We could always begin with Booth's issues regarding his father."

"No." Booth replied. "Absolutely not, Bones… stop this."

"I think that would be a good place to start, Doctor Brennan…" Sweets said, noticing the angry glare coming from her partner. "However, perhaps we'll um… continue the um… conversation about Christmas… so, the altercation between Booth and Jared occurred after dinner?"

"Yes." Brennan replied.

"Bones…" Booth growled.

"His father wasn't feeling well. I heard a loud noise coming from the kitchen, and went to investigate, finding the two of them rolling around on the floor. I attempted to pull Jared from Booth, and in the process was assaulted."

"You act like we punched you on purpose!" Booth exclaimed.

"I flew backwards into the wall, it was quite painful."

"Bones, stop."

Sweets was watching in concern as his eyes passed to Booth, and the two partners exchanged a look. "Then what happened?"

"Then I asked them to leave."

"She kicked us out…" Booth sighed.

"I told you that your father needed to be brought to the emergency room."

"You made me leave my kid with you."

"Under the circumstances." Brennan sighed. "I didn't think it was wise to allow a young boy to accompany his uncle and father to the hospital emergency room, especially with the volatile nature of your relationship. I wasn't going to put him in that kind of danger."

"I'm not dangerous!" Booth exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the coffee table, a stress ball from its surface flew across the room.

"Doctor Sweets." Temperance said with a sigh. "If you'll excuse me, I have another appointment." She said as she stood up.

"No you don't, Bones. Sit down." Booth said, watching as she shot a glare in his direction.

"I do have another appointment that I don't intend on missing… but perhaps you can continue to speak with Agent Booth… maybe you can get to the root of his obvious anger issues." She said, going through her bag for a moment, she grabbed her keys. "I'm sorry." She said as she walked toward the door. "Have a good afternoon." She said, opening the door, she disappeared out the door and closed it behind her.

Booth slouched in his seat and glared at Sweets. "You say another word, and I'll find someplace else on your body to tie that tie around too tightly." He said angrily as Sweets straightened in his chair, and the two of them stared at one another in a battle for control of the remainder of the session.


	179. Ashes, Ashes

The sound of his feet pounding into the tile floor was what everyone heard, followed by an angry grunting sound as he walked toward Brennan's office. She had arrived nearly ten minutes before him, citing a shorter therapy session than normal, and when Booth saw her standing on the platform, his face turned visibly redder. "What the hell are you doing here?" Booth asked, his voice low and growling, he seemed to sense that all eyes were on him and his partner, and resisted the urge to shout. He swiped his card through the reader and stalked to the table.

"I work here, Booth." She replied, refusing to look up at him, she watched his hands reach out to attempt to lean on the table, she swiped at them and looked into his eyes glaring. "No hands." She said, watching as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You deserted me in Sweets office." He said angrily. "You said that you had an appointment."

"I did have an appointment."

"Then why aren't you at this appointment now?" Booth asked, watching as she walked around the table, she repositioned the skeleton's ulna, and looked up at her partner.

"I felt that I was in an uncomfortable situation, and I excused myself. Whether or not being at my place of employment could be considered an appointment or not is not up to you to decide. I have remains that I have to identify, Booth. I didn't feel the need to justify our relationship to Sweets." She said, still repositioning the skeleton on the table, she looked around the lab and many wandering eyes went back to their previous tasks. "This is not the time or the place to be having this discussion."

"Well then, when is the time, and where is the place? I'd like to know, because I'd really like to know where the hell you were this morning, and why you lied to me this afternoon."

"I had an appointment this morning." She replied, walking around the table, she still hadn't looked up at him.

"You had an appointment."

"Yes." She said, reaching her hand over the body, she poked her finger at the phalanges, and moved her hand quickly when she saw that he was reaching for it. She looked up at him.

"I told you that I was sorry about your eye."

"Yes." She replied. "But this isn't about my eye, Booth. This is about…" She stopped speaking and watched his jaw clench in anger. "We're not discussing this here."

"Why not?"

"Because you're angry. When you're angry, you're unreasonable… when you're unreasonable, nothing gets solved except for you shouting and both of us getting upset." She snapped back.

"Where were you this morning?"

"Why? Are you all of a sudden my keeper? You give me a ring, and you think you can control me? That's not you, Booth… that's not who you are… what has gotten into you?" She asked, her whispered reply was becoming louder with each syllable, and when she finally finished, she found that her face was inches from his, his ears burning red, and she moved to take a step back. He reached for her and took her wrist into his hand, not tight enough to restrict her, but enough to let her know that he had something to say.

"Just tell me where you were this morning." He growled.

"Stop it."

"Tell me, Temperance."

"You want to know where I was this morning?" She asked, taking a step back, she glared at him as she pulled her wrist from his hold. "You really want to know?" She asked as she snapped off one of her gloves, she slammed it down onto the table. "I was at the gynecologist, Booth. I was at the gynecologist for my yearly appointment. I had a Pap smear done, and a breast exam, and…"

"Stop." Booth replied, clearly embarrassed.

"Oh, you don't want me to continue? I thought you wanted an explanation as to my whereabouts, Agent Booth." She said, snapping her other glove off, she slammed it into the table as her voice became louder. "Is a trip to the gynecologist on your list of things that your fiancé can or cannot do with your permission? Do I need a signed permission slip before I go to a doctor's appointment, Agent Booth?" She asked, her voice becoming even louder as she glared at him. "I had some tests done, would you like to know more about those too? Would you like to inspect my urine as well? Perhaps a serum specimen?"

"Bones, stop."

"I will not stop…" She said, glowering at him angrily as he felt the heat in his cheeks. "If you want to know where I am, and you want to discuss these things in private then that is fine." She whispered angrily. "You're the one that decided to showcase your alpha male prowess in front of the entire lab, so don't you dare look at me like that. If you want to have a private discussion with me, then we can do so when I have office hours… or after work, do you understand?"

Booth took several deep, cleansing breaths as he tried to calm himself, and pull the color from his face. He took another deep breath and swallowed. "Can we please go into your office and talk?" He asked softly. She watched him stubbornly for several moments, their eyes flickering over one another's faces as they both felt the pink of their cheeks in the embarrassment of the moment. She was a stubborn woman, and he a stubborn man. "Please, Bones."

"I don't like it when you become angry." She replied.

"I know." He replied. "Can we please go into your office and talk, Bones? Skeletor will be here when you get back…"

"I don't know what that means." She said with a furrowed brow.

"Don't worry about it." He replied. "Please?"

She sighed and furrowed her brow as she watched his sincere expression. "Fine." She said as she turned and walked for the stairs of the platform. "Five minutes."

Booth rolled his eyes and sighed, following after his partner, as he glared at any lab worker along the way that was staring at the two of them as they disappeared into her office and closed the door behind them.

As soon as the door to the office closed, the attention of most lab workers went to the glass windows in the corner office. Of course they all continued their tasks and remained busy, but it didn't take long for the voices in that office to rise to a higher level of volume. Booth's booming voice echoed through the wooden door and his hands gesticulated wildly as Brennan addressed him coolly from the other side of her desk, her long finger pointing at him as her eyes showed her anger.

The shouting match went on for a long while, and more and more attention went to that corner office as it only continued to heat up. There had been arguments before, fights, screaming matches, but the lab had never seen the likes of this.

Brennan matched Booth's anger word for word, and though no one could actually understand anything the two in that office were saying, they could tell that each were holding their own ground in the argument and neither one was about to let down their guard.

Suddenly, there was silence, and upon first glance, they could see that Booth was pacing, his hand to his ear where he held his phone as Brennan watched him with a look of alarm in her eyes. He then closed his phone, looked at Brennan, before muttering something unintelligible and quiet, before swinging the door of her office open and stalking through the lab. His pace was quick and purposeful, and even as everyone continued their tasks as if nothing had happened, nobody missed the sound of Brennan's voice as she called after Booth to tell her what had happened, as she hurried out of the lab after him.


	180. We All Fall Down

Booth stalked out of the lab fully aware of the woman following him, fully aware of the tension that was building up inside his body like a coil, tightening with each word she spoke as they neared the elevator. He slammed his fist down on the button and stared at the door to the stairs, willing himself to flee the shrill sound of her voice as she demanded to know where he was going.

"Booth, please." She said finally, her voice was soft as she watched his head snap in her direction just as the elevator door opened. He held the door as he turned, stepping backwards into the elevator, his eyes were practically screaming at her to follow. Her mouth clamped closed as he stood staring at her. Without another word, she stepped into the elevator and he took a step backwards, allowing the door to close.

They stood side by side as the elevator moved down to the parking garage, and he stole a glance at her, her eyes on the reflection of them both in the metal doors. Their eyes met in the malformed steel doors, their figures appearing waving and odd, but her eyes were staring directly at his reflection, and he could feel the intensity pouring from them, intensified by the knowledge that if he did look at them head on, he'd be in for more than he had bargained for.

The doors opened, and either by choice or by habit, he grabbed her hand in his, entangling his fingers as he lead them through the parking garage toward the SUV. They said nothing as they approached the car, and he thought for a moment if he should make the move that he had been planning since before she stepped into the elevator with him. Throwing caution to the wind, he stopped and tugged her arm, pulling her into his chest with a bit of force as her arms wrapped around him in a mighty hug. He kissed her head as he gave her a tight squeeze, feeling the love in her warmth as she hugged him back, she swore that she could feel him tremble in her arms. He kissed the top of her head, and just as quickly as it had happened, he was pulling from the embrace and halfway around the car to his door. She paused for a moment to watch his gait, his expression, his apparent sadness and defeat as he climbed into the car, and without further discussion climbed into her own seat.

They drove in silence, his hand reaching across the console to grip hers. She accepted his peace offering for what it was, and for what she wanted it to be, her eyes on the side of his face as she watched his temples. She could see the small vein in the side of his head throbbing angrily as his jaw clenched. She watched his hand on the wheel, kneading the rubber covering with a tight fist as he released her hand for a moment and flicked on the siren and lights, his hand moving to cover hers as he wordlessly derived comfort from her closeness.

Brennan had absolutely no idea who the phone call was about, though she could see by the look on Booth's face, it was someone who meant a great deal to him. She watched just a bit of his lower lip slip into his mouth, his upper teeth pressing the tender flesh, turning it white as he tried to control his breathing. She squeezed his hand and watched his lip pop from the pressure of his teeth as his eyes flashed to hers for a moment.

"I love you." His voice drifted across the car, and her eyes returned the sentiment as he swallowed hard.

"I love you too." She replied, her voice a bit more confident than his, she could see the rush of air from his lungs as he breathed a silent sigh of relief.

The silence returned and his foot hit the gas pedal as he made his way through the streets of Washington. He pulled up to the hospital and flicked off the siren and lights as he pulled into a parking spot. He reluctantly gave up Brennan's hand and climbed from the seat, immediately looking for her to his right, when she came up along his left side and grabbed his other hand. He almost smiled at her eagerness. She knew that something was wrong, she knew that it meant something to him, and she knew that it was an emergency.

For a woman who was so completely obsessed with answers, she asked no questions.

For a woman who was so completely obsessed with the truth, she went in blind.

For a woman who was so completely fearful of commitment and love, she gripped his hand tighter.

Booth took the lead and stepped in front of Brennan as they entered the hospital. Perhaps it was just a habit that he had formed, needing to protect her from anything and everything, perhaps it was just stubbornness, or the need to get the pain over and done with.

Brennan watched Booth approach the emergency nurse's desk, his voice a bit shaky as he waited for her to give them her attention.

"Can I help you?" The nurse asked, her eyes flicking to Brennan, the black eye still dark and painful looking, the nurse nearly scowled at the man before her.

"I'm looking for my brother." Booth said, clearing his throat, his eyes flicked to Brennan.

Calm.

Unsurprised.

Exactly what he had expected.

"Name, please?"

"Jared Booth. His fiancé called and told me that he was in an accident… that they transferred him here."

The nurse typed a few things into the computer and looked up at Booth and back to the screen as she watched Brennan grip his hand tightly. "Yes… Jared Booth… He is in surgery right now." She said, glancing toward the waiting room. "And your name?"

"Seeley Booth."

"Relation?"

Booth closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and controlled his anger as Brennan squeezed his hand. "Brother… he's my brother… Do you know what condition he got here in?"

She looked up at Booth and could see the desperation in his eyes. She had seen that same look a million times, and by now it rarely affected her. "He's in surgery, sir." She said. "That's all I can tell you right now. If you'd like to wait in the waiting room, I can tell his doctor that you're here and would like to see him when he's available.

Booth stood before the nurse, his heart pounding hard in his chest, his blood pressure steadily rising as he felt a hand on his chest as Brennan leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"Let's sit down in the waiting room, Boo." She whispered.

The nickname tickled his ear, and somehow with that small, three letter word, she had managed to diffuse the bomb that was ticking away in his demeanor.

"We'll be in the waiting room." He managed to whisper, his eyes starting to show the weariness in them. "Thank you." He said, as his arm wrapped around Brennan's shoulder and their eyes met, as she helped lead him toward the chairs, and the long wait that they knew was ahead of them.


	181. A Way In the Anger

Booth let Brennan lead him to the waiting area. Several people were around in various chairs, some with cuts or colds, and some appeared to have mild injuries from one thing or another. Two chairs in the corner stood unoccupied, so Brennan steered him toward them without a word. She could feel the tension in his body, the way he held himself was so guarded and closed off, that she was sure she would never be allowed inside.

However, like she often surprised him, he surprised her, by stopping and turning toward her just as they reached the chairs. She watched him face her, his head down, his shoulders slumped and defeated. "Booth?" She whispered.

"I'm sorry." He replied, finally looking up at her, she tipped her head and indicated that she was confused. "I… I'm sorry, Bones." He whispered.

"I don't understand what you're apologizing for, Booth." She replied.

"Everything… nothing… anything…I…"

"It's alright." She said, putting her hand on his arm. "I understand that you're highly emotional right now, and you are trying to work through your feelings. It's alarming when someone you love is in pain and you can't do something about it, when you can't be in control."

"I am so… angry?" He shook his head.

"You're not sure?"

"I don't know how I feel, Bones."

"Who are you angry with?"

"Everyone."

"You're going to have to be slightly more specific, Booth."

"Jared…My father… You. Everyone." He said, looking up into her eyes.

She paused for a moment. "I understand." She nodded. He could see by the sincere look in her eyes that somehow… she did understand.

"I wish I did." He said, turning quickly, he sat down heavily in the chair, immediately resting his head in his hands as he took slow, deep breaths. She sat beside him and ran her hand soothingly over his back.

His head was throbbing, the kneading of his fingers over his forehead and temple were doing nothing for him, though the supportive hand at his back made him feel warmer, less alone. "I should have just…" He sighed, tipping his head back quickly, he sat back as she pulled her hand from behind him, just as his back hit the chair. He grunted as he slammed his fist on his thigh in anger, the tears in his eyes holding back for the time being.

"What?" She asked. "You should have just what, Booth?"

"I should have just given Jared the goddamned ring." He said, pressing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger hard as he sighed heavily.

"I don't understand, Booth."

"It doesn't matter." He said, looking up at Brennan. "It doesn't matter, okay? The point is… just… forget it."

"I'm not going to just forget it, Booth. There is something that you're not telling me, and you need to talk to me."

"It doesn't matter, Bones. I can't change the past, you can't change the past… it happened, okay? You got hurt, Jared got hurt… It just… You are all better off without me, okay?" He said with a sigh.

Brennan watched him for a moment and was stuck between wanting to be the supportive girlfriend, and the logical scientist and friend. Booth appeared to be wallowing in self pity, blaming himself for things that were beyond his control, and beating himself up over it continually.

"I know which one of you hit me, Booth." She said softly.

"What?" Booth said, seeing her head tilt as she watched him sincerely, he cringed just as he had each and every time he looked up and saw the lingering bruise on her face.

"I know which one of you elbowed me in the face, Booth." She sighed. "Would it help you if I told you? Would it make you feel better?"

"I don't know." He said, sighing. "On the one hand, if it was me, I'd feel incredibly guilty for hurting you."

"You already do feel incredibly guilty."

"If it were Jared?"

"I'd kill him." Booth said, staring her directly in the eyes. "I wouldn't kill him, but I'd make him pay… I would have I mean… if he weren't in surgery right now." Booth said, giving her a pained expression.

"It was Jared, Booth… he swung his arm back and hit me in the eye with his elbow. It was an accident." She said, seeing his jaw clench. "It was an accident, and he didn't mean to hurt me."

"I'm supposed to protect you." He whispered.

"Yeah, well… at the time I was trying to protect you. Accidents happen sometimes, Booth. This was an accident, what happened with Jared today was an accident. There are things that you can't control. You can't control everything." He nodded his head and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes for a moment, rubbing at the itchy feeling he had in his eyes, yawning a bit as he sighed. "You haven't been sleeping." She whispered.

"No." He shook his head, he stole a glance to his side and caught her eyes. "My kitten ran away."

She tipped her head and smiled a sideways grin. "Your kitten did not run away."

"She did." He nodded, shaking his head, he looked back to the ground and sighed. "She just… ran away."

"Maybe she thought that if you didn't sleep next to her for a few nights, that you might take measures to resolve the issues between Jared and yourself."

"The issues that exist between me and Jared, Bones? Can't resolve them with a conversation… it would take years of therapy to ease that burden." He sighed. She didn't reply, and he turned his head slowly to see her watching him closely. "Are you…are you, Temperance 'Bones' Brennan… recommending that I see a therapist?" He asked, sitting up. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I just… think that you have some issues… to resolve, and that you might find solace in discussing those issues with other people."

"Wait, so now you're not only recommending therapy… but group therapy?" He asked, letting out a slight scoff, he immediately realized that she was not kidding.

"You have some really deep seated anger issues, Booth." She whispered honestly.

"Bones… you've got to be…"

"I went to the doctor this morning for a blood test, Booth."

"What are you saying?"

"Well, between the constant mood swings, and the fact that…"

"Mister Booth?" A woman's voice interrupted Brennan's sentence, and Booth's eyes snapped to the nurse standing before them. "Your brother's fiancé… Padme Dalaj was informed that you had arrived. She's asked for you to join her in the surgical waiting room, if you'd prefer."

"Of course…" He said as he stood up, his hand already gripping Brennan's as she stood up as well. "I need my fiancé to be there too." He said quickly, the words pieced together as if he had said it a million times before.

"Of course." The nurse said with a smile. "Follow me." She said politely, as Booth wrapped his arm around Brennan's waist as they walked, he pulled her tightly against him, his body trembling slightly as he contemplated the implications of what Brennan was getting at with her last words, mixed with the anxiety of knowing that he might know more about his brother's condition soon.


	182. Atomic Bomb

Booth and Brennan walked down the hallway following the nurse. His arm was wrapped firmly around her, and his lips touched her head as she pushed herself into his side, ensuring that he knew that she was with him for each and every step. They turned the corner and Padme looked up, her sad eyes brightened when she saw the two of them step into the room.

"Seeley." She said softly, tears rolling down her cheek as she approached them quickly. Brennan moved reluctantly from his side, knowing that the woman was looking for comfort, she gave Booth a supportive smile when he hugged the younger woman to himself, trying to think of how he could make her worry a little easier.

"It's alright, Padme." He whispered.

Brennan watched the exchange as he held the other woman close, his eyes crossing the room to her and her head tipped with a supportive smile. She watched him close his eyes for a second, and she could see that he was obviously in thought of what to say to Padme.

"Have you heard anything?" He asked, feeling the younger woman pull from him in an almost awkward way, her eyes finding their way to his.

"Did they tell you what happened?"

"Just that he was in an automobile accident." Brennan said, moving to Booth's side as if it were a magnet, his arm wrapped around her, she could tell by his grip that he was thankful that she had moved closer again.

"He was… at an intersection, and a truck slid through their red light just as he started to go through the intersection." Padme whispered. "The impact was all on his side of the car… the surgery is for internal bleeding, and they have to put a pin in his left leg… there was only slight head injuries, but he could have a concussion." She sighed.

"Jared is a very strong and capable man, Padme. I'm sure that he can withstand the severity of the accident, but time will tell." She said with a friendly smile, as Padme surprised both Brennan and Booth by grabbing the other woman in a hug.

"Oh, Thank you for saying that, Temperance…" She said. "I'm just… I just need a little support, and I don't have any family nearby, and you two are all that Jared has." She said, still holding Brennan tightly. Brennan's eyes flicked to Booth, whose face held an expression that bordered on humored. She narrowed her eyes and she watched the corners of his lips rise in a smile as she glared a little more. He knew that she hated physical contact, especially by surprise, so this moment was one that he was relishing in.

"We are more than happy to be here for you, Padme." She said, sincerely hugging the woman, she pulled from the hug. "Why don't we sit down, perhaps we can converse and find a suitable distraction until the surgeon is free to give us news. I am assuming that you weren't with Jared at the time of his accident?" She whispered, watching Padme shake her head, she grabbed Brennan's hand, and pulled her toward a set of chairs. Brennan turned toward Booth, who smiled slightly in relief and nodded toward her, indicating that she should allow Padme to take comfort in her company . Brennan sat down beside Padme and the woman began talking very quickly about how she had just gotten back from Christmas with her parents, and Jared was going to the store to pick up a few things, and they were going to have a nice evening in… that she had gotten a phone call from the Washington Police Department, and that she had called Booth as soon as she had gotten to the hospital and learned of Jared's condition.

"I'm really sorry that they had you in the other waiting room."

"It's fine." Brennan said softly. "It gave us some time to talk about a few things that we needed to discuss due to…" She felt Booth's hand on her shoulder and she turned her head as he tried to stop what she was saying, knowing her propensity of over-informing. She glanced at him, and the ice in her eyes made him stop. He smiled a bit sheepishly, giving her shoulder a little squeeze in support to let her continue. "Due to the fact that we were at work at the time of the phone call… there was little time for us to discuss what was going on." She finished, her eyes meeting his again as his expressed a sense of relief.

"I'm just glad that someone is here… I just… I'm really scared."

"Well, we're all family…" Brennan replied, feeling his hand squeeze her shoulder again.

The two women talked for a little while, and Booth sat across the small waiting room watching, as Padme excused herself to go to the bathroom. Brennan pulled out her phone and began to roll through her e-mails as she refused to look up for a moment.

Her phone buzzed indicating an incoming text message. She pressed the button to retrieve it, and glanced up at Booth, who was engrossed in his own phone.

**Blood Tests?**

Brennan looked up and her brow furrowed when he didn't look up at her. She typed quickly into her phone.

_We can discuss it later._

**Bones.**

His response was quick, and she could practically hear his tone just from the message.

_It's nothing bad._

She typed her response quickly.

_I just don't think that now is the time or place to discuss it._

**Are you pregnant?**

_Booth._

It was his turn to hear the tone in the text message.

**Bones?**

_I am not._

**Oh.**

_Anymore._

The sound of the door opening, interrupted their texting as she looked up to see Padme walking in with the surgeon following behind. "Doctor Sanford, this is Jared's brother, Seeley and his fiancé Temperance." She said with a smile.

Booth eyed Brennan across the room as she stood up, refusing to catch his eye as she stood up and addressed the doctor directly. "I trust that the surgery was a success." Brennan blurted out, just as she felt Booth behind her, his hand on the small of her back.

"It was a success, as far as we can tell right now… though it's still early. We placed the pin and did several tests to ensure that we had repaired any instances of internal bleeding. We're still waiting on results of a couple more tests, but Jared is in recovery now. We want to keep him in ICU until we know for sure that he's stable." The doctor said as he smiled politely.

"I'd like to see his records if…"

"Bones." Booth whispered as he tugged at her. "Thank you, Doctor." Booth replied. "When will we be able to see him?"

"We're going to let him stabilize a little longer… and we'll come and get you when he can have visitors… You can leave your number with the nurses if you'd like, and they can give you a call if you decide to leave the hospital for some fresh air. We'll keep you apprised of his progress." The doctor said as Booth nodded.

"Thank you, Doctor." Booth said as he glanced to Padme. "You alright?"

"I'm doing much better." She said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Good." He said, giving her a slight supportive smile. "If you'll excuse us for a couple of minutes, Bones and I have something to discuss…" He smiled. "Work related… you understand."

"But Booth, we don't have a…" She stopped when she saw the look in his eyes. They were dark and brooding, and warning her not to argue with him. She knew the bomb she had dropped on him, now it was time to deal with the fallout. She stopped without explanation and turned to Padme. "We'll be back in a few minutes." She said, grabbing for Booth's hand, he evaded it for a moment, as he put his hand on her back, and led her along into the hallway before Padme had a chance to respond to their quick exit.


	183. Unwanted Fears

Booth kept his hand at the small of Brennan's back, leading her down the hallway of the hospital toward a small waiting room that appeared to be unoccupied. He said nothing as they walked into the room, his hand grabbing hers as she started to walk in without him, and he closed the door behind them. The grip on her hand was tight and full of emotion and she turned to face him finally.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

She had absolutely no idea what was going through his mind. His dark brown eyes were so intense that it physically hurt her to look into them. She felt her stomach knot, and he still had said nothing. His cheeks were slightly flushed; his jaw clenched from what could be anger, anxiety, or pain. It could be anything, though she refused to ask him what it was.

He said nothing as he lifted his right hand to her cheek, running a slow, tender circle over her cheek with the pad of his thumb; he leaned down and kissed her lips tenderly. He closed his eyes, tipping his head as he rested his forehead on hers, his eyes remaining closed.

"Tell me." He whispered.

She felt his breath on her face, the slow and steady breaths that indicated that he was trying so very hard to control himself. His eyes opened and she felt a chill tremble down her spine. He was being patient, she could tell, for she could feel his restraint in his grip, in his eyes, in the way his tongue ran along his lower lip, his teeth clenching the pink flesh for a moment before releasing it.

"I love you." She said softly.

"I know."

"I feel like a failure." She whispered, her breath caught in her throat, the words sounding like a whimper.

"No." He whispered. "No, Bones…" He shook his head.

"I feel like I am. I feel like I let you down." She whimpered, a tear forming on her cheek, his thumb quickly whisked it away with a tender brush. "I didn't know."

"I know, baby."

"I would have told you if I knew."

"I know."

"I was going to tell you." He caught another tear as it caught on her cheek, and her eyes strayed from his as she focused on the button on his shirt and the knot on his tie. "I just…I was having symptoms, and… I tried to just say that you know, maybe it was just the stress of work, or something, or maybe anxiety over the holidays." She said, her fingers fumbling over the knot on his tie, as her voice became more of a choked sob as he instantly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. "I had the doctor do a blood test because I hadn't menstruated yet… I was having really horrible cramps, and…then I had another appointment today… and when they… when they…" She sniffed as she tried to catch her breath. She sucked in long breaths, releasing them again and again, her head pressing hard into his shoulder as he held her to him securely. She mumbled a few more things about mood swings and nausea, and though he tried to understand what she was saying, the only thing he cared about was taking care of the woman in his arms.

"Bones…" He whispered, holding her to him as securely as he could. He kissed her head and ran his fingers through hear hair as she cried. "It's okay… its okay, Bones…"

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed, the guilt and sadness wracking her body, she hardly felt him pulling her with him toward the chairs. She barely registered him sitting her down beside him. Her fingers were gripping him tightly as she cried, trying desperately to catch her breath.

"Bones, you need to breathe, sweetheart… you need to breathe…" He said softly. "It's okay, baby." He whispered. "It's okay." He said, listening to her gulping the air to catch her breath, he simply continued to run his fingers through her hair. "It's alright, Bones… just breathe."

"I had the first test done the day after Christmas." She whispered. "The hormones were present… signifying that I was pregnant, but I was… bleeding and cramping, so I knew… I was sure then. Today was… was the definitive test results, and… and I just… I tried to hold it in." She whispered, unable to look at him, he held her to him and kissed her head. "You had your father to worry about, and… and your fight with Jared, and me. I thought if I just… dealt with it alone, then we wouldn't…I wouldn't have to… admit that any of this was real. I didn't want you to have to deal with it."

"You don't have to deal with anything alone, Bones. You never, ever, should have to deal with something like this alone."

"I didn't want you to think I'm a failure too. I don't want you to be disappointed in me." She admitted, sniffling, she rubbed her eye with her sleeve. "I didn't want you to hate me."

"I could never hate you."

"But… you… you want that, don't you? Don't you want children?" She whimpered.

"Yes." He whispered. "Someday, Bones. Someday… maybe it is in the cards, but right now all I care about is that you're alright. I need you to be alright, Bones." He whispered. "Nothing else matters… the world could crumble around us, and all I need is you." He whispered. "All I need is you, baby… that's all I need. This is not your fault. It's not your fault, Bones."

She continued to lean against him, trying to catch her breath, and slowly was able to. She took slow, deep breaths as he kissed her head and calmed her. He needed her to be rational, he needed her to be clear headed. He was the one that was fraying at the edges, and he needed his foundation of support that was always present in his partner and best friend, the love of his life. "Bones?" Booth whispered as he listened to her breath hold for a moment as she waited for his words. "Did I do this?" He asked.

"What?" She asked, sitting up immediately, she began to rub her hands over her cheeks, desperately trying to dry them off. "No! No… No, this… this isn't your fault, Booth." She shook her head.

"You said the cramps started after Christmas… after the fight… after my dad came into town, and all of this stuff with Pops and Dad, and… and the fight, Bones." He whispered.

"No, Booth." She shook her head. "It started before all of that… it takes a while for… the symptoms to present themselves, it was a little longer than a few days."

"You promise?" He whispered.

"I promise, Booth… I promise. You know me… I would never lie to you simply to spare your feelings. You need the truth just as much as I do." She said, staring into his eyes.

"I need you to be okay, Bones." He whispered. "Are you okay? Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm… I'm okay." She whispered, feeling his hand on her face, their eyes remained locked. "I promise, I'm okay." She swallowed hard. "I just… I think I wanted this."

He let a slight smile slide onto his lips as his worried expression slid into a pleased expression. It was subtle, and if she didn't know him so well, she probably would have missed it. "You don't have to worry about it now, okay? We'll talk about it."

"I think I want to have a family with you." She whispered, her lip trembling. "I want to have a family with you."

"You're already my family, Bones… any additions to it?" He whispered, dipping his fingers into her hair as he carefully tucked several strands behind her ear. "Any additions to it are just gravy." He said, leaning forward to kiss her forehead tenderly, as he pulled her toward him to secure her in a tight hug. He held her close to him and comforted her, even though the sadness of her confession bit and nagged at him. He needed to focus on the here and now, and not the 'could have been', but was finding it very difficult to separate the two.


	184. Can Handle

Booth held Brennan for a long while, kissing her head tenderly as she hugged him close. It had been days since she had felt like herself, and talking to Booth about this had been something that she had feared since she was fairly sure it was happening. He rocked her gently against him, and she could feel the tension in his grip.

"I need you to do something for me, Bones." Booth said softly as she nodded against him. "I need you to go home."

"What?" She asked, sitting up, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and stared into his eyes. "I'm not leaving you, Booth."

"Bones, please."

"No." She shook her head, she pulled from his embrace and stood. "I'm fine." She said, looking down at him as he sat looking up at her. "I'm in fine physical shape, the cramps have stopped. Everything is fine now. I'm fine."

"Bones, you just sat here with me for a half hour and cried. You look exhausted. You… we lost…"

"I am not leaving you, Booth." She interrupted.

"What if I need you to leave me, Bones? What if… that's all I really want, and all I really need… is for you to go home, walk the dog, get something to eat and go to sleep? Would you do that for me? If that all I wanted… all I needed."

"Booth?" She whispered.

He gave her a lopsided smile, his eyes following her as she shifted her weight slightly, her fingertip running across her cheek. "He's probably going to be sleeping for the rest of the night. I was going to stay here with Padme. I will call you if there are any changes. There is no reason that both of us should be exhausted." He said, reaching for her hand, she allowed him to take it. "I need for you to be okay."

"I need for you to be okay." She whispered.

"I will be okay." He nodded.

"I don't believe you." She replied, her response completely serious, she watched as he chuckled.

"I will be okay if you go home."

"Will you text me?"

"You will be sleeping, Bones." She let out a slight whine as her brow furrowed. "I'll text you… geez, Bones… no need to bring out the full on pout mode." He said, watching her eyes narrow into a glare. "I love you." He said, as if it were the only thing he could think to say in that moment. "I love you, Temperance."

"I love you." She said sincerely. "Are you sure that you don't…"

He stood up and pulled her into him, enveloping her in a hug that she couldn't resist, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. "Of course I need you." He said, tipping back, he rested his fingertips on her chin and raised her face so that she was looking into his eyes. "I need you, Bones. Promise me that you won't go to the lab." He watched her eyes flick to the side, and back to his.

"I won't go back to the lab." She whispered.

"I'm serious, Bones."

"I will go home and get some sleep before I to go the lab." She said, catching his eyes with hers, she knew that he believed her when the corner of his lip curled up.

"Good girl." He said, narrowing his eyes in a playful smile.

"I'm not a dog, you know." She glared back teasingly.

"No, you're not." He said, stretching his arms around her to hug her, he felt her secure hug back and buried his face in her shoulder and neck, before pulling from the hug. "Alright." He said, kissing her nose softly. "If you need me, call me."

"Booth, I…"

"Bones."

"If you need me, call me."

"I will."

She left him with Padme, a bit of a sad goodbye as she held her emotions in check until she walked down to the SUV. She climbed behind the wheel and sat for a moment, her fingers gripping the keys as she attempted to slide them into the ignition. She felt a pang of regret in her belly, and the start of tears in her eyes once more as she felt a sob deep in her chest.

She didn't want to leave him.

She knew that it was irrational to not leave his side, that it was foolish to think he couldn't do this without her presence. She rested her head on the steering wheel and let the sob escape. The keys she held in her hand fell to the floorboard as she gripped the steering wheel with both hands and began to sob loud, wracking sobs alone.

She didn't know what had come over her, as she attempted to rationalize the fears and guilt in her heart, attributing everything to hormones and chemical imbalances she tried to catch her breath. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and calmed herself to pull it from where she kept it, she pressed the button for the incoming text, and couldn't help but smile.

**I might need a candle later**

She smiled sadly as she typed in her reply, her sobs forgotten as she pressed the send button.

**You don't need candles for this storm. I will ride it out with you.**

She sent the text and stared at the phone for a moment, breathing slow deep breaths, she closed her eyes. She needed rest, and she was willing to give Booth the credit for recognizing that. She just didn't want to leave him. She thought of her whispered promise to go home and sleep, and thought for a moment of the puppy sitting in his kennel waiting to be let out. She had responsibilities and couldn't let her emotions rule. With a quick move for the keys, she sucked in a sharp breath and started the car, making her way from the hospital in pursuit of fulfilling the promise that she had made to Booth.


	185. Family Matters

Booth sat in the uncomfortable chair in the waiting room beside the surgery waiting room, alone and unsure of what he should do. He thought of going back into the room with Padme, but she was talking to her sister on the phone, and he didn't want to intrude. He had texted Brennan and wondered briefly of how she was doing, how she was coping, his knowledge of her strength in any situation made him feel confident that she would be alright on her own. He needed her to rest, needed her to sleep.

He felt his phone vibrate in his hands and glanced to the text, his heart clenching with the words he read, he felt an intense veil of guilt wash over him.

_Did I crush your heart?_

He thought about texting her, but instead pressed the button on the phone and listened to it ring. "Brennan." Her voice was soft, and he was sure he heard a slight sniffle on the other end of the line.

"Bones?"

"Uh… Hey." She said, and he definitely heard a sniffle. "I made it home… Rebel was very happy to see me."

"Bones, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"I love you." He replied, knowing that her answer of 'fine' was simply that, an answer. The word meant nothing in her vocabulary. It was probably the only word she ever said that was as loaded as the gun in his holster. He listened to the intensity of her silence. "Do you want me to come home?"

"No." Her answer was resolute and final, held absolutely no argument. "Did you need something?" She replied. "Do you need me to come back?"

"No." This time it was his turn to be final with his answer. Though the truth was that he'd prefer that she were there, and he had been kicking himself since the moment she left for letting her go. "I need you to get some rest."

"I don't understand how rest for me will aid your exhaustion."

"If you're home safe and sleeping, it's one less thing that I have to worry about." He said, his tone final.

"That's a logical argument."

"You and I will talk." He said, hearing his voice trembling slightly, when he attempted to control it, he could sense that it was only getting worse. "You did not crush my heart, Bones."

She sniffed again. "I should get changed and get to bed." She whispered.

"Do you need me to call anyone to be there with you?"

"I'll be okay, Booth." She replied, this time her words held strength. "Take care of your family."

"That's why I called you." He said, feeling a bit of weight lifting from his shoulders. "I'm going to go talk to Dad now… tell him what's going on."

"Okay." She whispered, the attempt at a smile in her voice. "I'm going to go to sleep now."

"I love you, Bones."

"I love you, Boo." She whispered, imagining the slight smile on his face at her words. He knew that she was hurting, that she was in pain. She just needed to let him know that she was aware that he was being supportive, that she knew he wanted to be there for her. She heard a slight sigh of relief on the other end of the line, and the line disconnected.

* * *

Booth walked out of the room and toward the other waiting room, finding that Padme had finished talking to her sister, and was now sitting alone staring off into space. Her eyes lit up slightly when she saw Booth, and he gave her a sideways smile. "Hear anything?" He asked, watching her head shake, she looked a bit lost for a moment. "Need some company?" He asked.

"Sure." She smiled. "You don't have to stay, Seeley, it's okay. You look exhausted."

"I have to stay, at least until he's stable."

"How is Temperance?"

"She's alright. She hasn't been sleeping well, so I told her to go ahead home."

"I'm sorry that I couldn't make it for Christmas."

"Ah, it's okay…" He smiled. "There will be plenty more."

"Jared told me about the fight." She said, watching Booth stiffen slightly at the mention of the last time he had seen his brother. "He didn't tell me what it was about, just that you two had gotten into it, and Temperance had gotten into the middle of it. He felt bad."

"Well, he didn't tell me even that much." Booth replied.

"He wanted to apologize to Temperance… to you, but he said that he figured you were still mad at him."

"There's no point in being mad at him." Booth replied sincerely. "That doesn't do anything… frustrated, yeah… but mad at him, no." He cleared his throat slightly. "Has Jared ever told you anything about our father?" Booth asked, glancing to the younger woman, their eyes met for a moment, and she shook her head.

"He mentioned him once… said he was a drunk…"

"My father was an alcoholic… not a drunk. Temperance has helped me to learn the difference in this one. She explains that one who is an alcoholic is suffering from a disease, something that they can come back from, something that they can… work on if they're willing to work on it, which my father has done. Alcoholism is an addiction, Drunkenness is an affliction." He replied.

"He said that your father was dead."

"He's not dead." Booth shook his head, sighing for his brother's lies. "He was probably dead to Jared, sure… but he's not dead...Not dead yet. When we were younger, my father had a lot of mental anguish. He was a soldier… saw a lot of things that he wished he could forget, things that he thought he wouldn't see if he was staring at the bottom of an empty whiskey bottle. He was an alcoholic, and at times abusive, but he was no drunk. He provided for his family, he was a… he was a barber. He went to work every day just like every other father, and he did love us… even when he was hitting my mother or me, or Jared. He did love us." Booth went on, his words soft and wistful."

"I don't understand why you're telling me this, Seeley."

"Because between my brother and my father, there are a lot of things that need to be said, and have never been said… and I just realized, that I have a captive audience." He said, a slight smile rising on his lips.

"What do you mean?"

"Padme… would you like to meet our father?"


	186. I Just Love You

Padme paused for a moment, her mouth slightly agape as she looked at Booth with a confused expression. "Meet your father? He's here?"

"He's the reason that my brother and I got into a fight the other night." Booth explained.

"He knows that Jared is here, the accident?"

Booth turned his head and shook it gently. "No. He hasn't seen Jared since we brought him to the hospital the other night after dinner. He's… sick." Booth nodded. "Well, to be blunt, he's dying."

"Your father is dying?"

"Yes."

"Of what?"

"Liver… carcinna… rapid… Cancer of the liver… Bones could explain it better than I can…" Booth shrugged. "He doesn't have very much longer to live… a couple more weeks at most." Booth shrugged.

"Jared didn't tell me that he saw his father."

"Sat across from him at the dinner table… said not a word to the man. There is a lot of anger inside of my little brother, and a lot of anger inside myself for the things my father put our family through."

"But you forgive him?"

"No, I could never forgive my father for the things he had done… but I am willing to put aside my anger… try to put aside my anger. Jared makes me angry." Booth said pointedly, he stood up and paced a bit. "Jared is… just like my father." He said, wincing a bit at his own words. "He's not exactly like my father… but he's like my father, they are very similar people. Please don't tell Jared I'm telling you this." Booth said, watching Padme smile slightly at his anxiety as he paced. "I feel like this is my fault." He said, quickly, watching the woman's eyes meet his.

"I don't understand."

"No… no… I don't expect you to… it's very complicated and I really shouldn't have asked you to come with me to see our father. Jared would probably try to kick my ass… and hurt himself trying if he found out." Booth said as he stepped toward the door. "I just have to check in with him though, so… um… just, please excuse me for a few minutes." He said politely as Padme stood up.

"Seeley?" She said, watching Booth's supportive smile as he looked around at her imploring eyes. "I'd like to meet your father." She said softly. "Jared lied to me." She paused. "If I intend on marrying him, I would prefer that I find the truth rather than have him tell me his version of it in this particular portion of his life."

"You do realize that it's my ass on the line and not yours, right?" Booth replied with a teasing smile.

"You offered it up in the first place." She said, approaching him, he held the door open as she walked out into the hallway. "Lead the way." She said, as Booth nodded and walked alongside her as he led her to the elevators and to the floor where his father was staying.

* * *

Booth neared his father's room and checked the time, noting that it was nearly nine in the evening, he was shocked by how quickly the day had slipped past them, yet how long of a day it seemed. He sighed and stepped into the room, his father lying on his back staring at a television screen, tubes and wires placed and making the one time large man look small and frail in the bed. He paused for a moment, having a flash of that man standing over him, fists flailing and had a split second of panic. He felt Padme's hand on his arm, and he gave her a friendly smile as he nodded and cleared his throat. "Dad?" Booth said as Joe turned to see his son in the doorway.

"Seeley." He said, his voice gravely and low, his eyes flickered to the woman beside him, but he said nothing. "You look upset, where is Temperance?"

"She's home." He said, turning to Padme. "Dad, this is Jared's fiancé…"

"The girl that Temperance mentioned." He nodded, coughing a bit as his breathing remained labored.

"Yeah… yeah, Dad." Booth nodded, laughing a bit nervously. He knew that once Brennan would get on a topic, it would take forever to get her to stop, and for the four days that his father had been in the hospital, she had been sure to keep him updated on everything that she could possibly think of, including Jared and Padme. "Dad, Jared was in a car accident this afternoon."

The look on Joe's face immediately went to one of fear, and Booth knew that Padme had seen the genuine fear in his eyes. "Is he okay?"

"He was in surgery… they're trying to keep him stable now, but they think he's going to be alright." Booth nodded.

"Oh God…" Joe whispered.

"He'll be okay, Dad."

Joe's eyes fell onto Padme, the look of apprehension in her eyes. "Jared told you I was dead, I'm assuming. The boy wishes I were dead sometimes, and I can't say that I blame him." He said, starting to cough a bit, Booth stepped forward to grab a cup of water from the table, and his father shook his head. "The water here tastes like toilet bowl, I'd rather be parched." He said, watching Booth nod.

"Do you want me to get you bottled water or something, Dad?"

"Nah… it's fine, they got fluids going into me, fluids going out to me… got a good system going here, I'll be fine." He said, watching Booth nod. "My boy taking good care of you, dear?"

"Yes, he is, sir."

"Joe, please…c all me Joe… its fine." He nodded. He looked to Booth and his forehead furrowed. "You've got a lot more on your mind than just your brother."

"Nothing for you to worry about, Dad."

Padme's phone rang in her hand, and she politely excused herself for a moment, lifting the phone to her ear. She said a couple of things and turned toward the two of them. "They're bringing him into recovery now." She said, hanging the phone up.

"You go ahead and be with him, Padme." Booth said with a soft smile. "I'll be in there in a bit." Booth said with a smile.

Padme excused herself, telling Joe that it was nice to meet him, and that she hoped to get a chance to talk to him, as she exited the room.

Booth straightened a bit, trying to think of what he was going to do when his father spoke up. "Did you and your brother talk after the other day, Seeley?"

"No. He left the hospital, and that was it."

"Stubborn little…"

"Yeah, Dad. I know." Booth interrupted.

"And Temperance?"

"She's fine." Booth replied, watching the look on his father's face, he could tell that he was unconvinced. "We'll be okay."

"You look tired."

"I wish that word could define everything that I am right now." He said, sitting heavily in the chair.

"I hope that me dying isn't something that you're worrying about, Seeley. I don't want you to think about it as a bad thing."

"Don't." Booth said angrily. "Don't you dare do that to me, Dad. All of this is linked back to you in one way or another, even if your intentions were pure, even if it isn't directly related to you. Your dying is one of the things that is going to bother me, so don't even think of weighing it on a different scale from everything else."

"Seeley."

"Jared needs to talk to you before you die. It has to happen." Booth said sharply. "It has to happen, and he needs to find out your dying from you, not me. He knows you're sick, he's avoiding the truth, and you can't let him do that. You have to be his father for once, Dad. It's your turn." He said, standing up. "I will see you tomorrow." Booth said as he sighed and walked toward the door. He looked back at his father and gave a half hearted wave. "Goodnight, Dad." He said as he stepped out of the room and into the hallway.

* * *

The apartment was silent, the air about the room smelled of her, and he could feel his heart beating hard in his chest as he walked through the apartment. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, filled with anxiety, and he didn't question it.

He stepped into the bedroom and noted that she had left his side of the bed empty, her presumption that he would be there before the night was through warmed his heart as he noted the little ball of brown fur at the end of the bed staring at him. "Hey, Rebel." He whispered, the little dog replied by laying his head back down on Brennan's feet as Booth removed his clothes down to his boxers and very slowly slipped into bed. Her back was to him, so he naturally put his arm around her waist.

She pushed back into his arms sleepily, sliding perfectly against his chest as he dropped a kiss at her neck.

"You saved me a spot." He whispered tenderly into her skin, listening to her sleepy sounds as she entangled their hands together.

"I always save a spot for you in my bed." She whispered, turning her head to look into his eyes. "Even when I'm mad at you."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"Frustrated? Disappointed? Irritated? Annoyed?"

"I just love you." She said, dropping a kiss on his cheek as she turned her head back to the pillow as she felt him wrap himself around her securely, her words comforting both of them as they gave into their exhaustion together.


	187. Live Fast, Die Young

Her eyes opened in the darkness, his arm around her securely, tightly as she tried to figure out exactly what had woken her. She listened in the darkness for some sign that it wasn't just her imagination, but a real sound, when she heard it again, against her hair, the small gasp of air. She tried not to move, she didn't want him to know that she was awake, and she listened, hearing it again, she felt a lump in her throat, and her eyes began to fill with tears. She bit her lower lip, cursing internally her hormones that were making her react to his pain this way, and she closed her eyes tightly.

She felt the teardrop slide down her cheek, and hoped that it would disappear, or drop on the pillow, but it was destined to touch his skin, and when it dropped, she felt his body stiffen slightly, his arms pulling her tighter, his nose buried deeper into her hair.

"I don't want to die like my father." He whispered, the words barely intelligible, but she heard them. She said nothing, letting him hold her in his arms, she could feel his thumb rhythmically running across her arm. "I don't want to die a slow, painful death alone in a hospital room… my family periodically visiting me, if they like me… tubes and wires sticking out of places that tubes and wires shouldn't stick out of." He said softly. "I don't want to die like that… losing my hair, losing my mind, losing the memories that I had built to old age. I don't want to die like that."

She was tempted to reply, to tell him that aging was going to happen regardless of what we want, what we try to do to our bodies to make it stop.

We all get older, we all die.

She stopped herself because she knew that wasn't what he needed to hear. He needed to hear her breathing, hear her listening, feel her hands in his, her body against his. He didn't need her words, he needed her everything, silently standing against the tides of despair that were threatening to pull him apart at the seams.

"I don't want to die in a car wreck." Booth whispered suddenly. "If that's the way Jared goes… I wouldn't' be surprised." His words stung like a stone being slammed onto her hand with a great force. His words were filled with pain and sorrow, but she still said nothing. "Live fast and die young… should have been his motto." He whispered. "Rebel without a clue. I don't want to die like that."

His words were ominous and dark, the words he spoke and the tone he used gave such a twist to her stomach that she felt sick, but she remained silent. "Why can't people just… lie in bed with the person they love and just drift away to someplace perfect… be with one another together, forever? Why does death have to be such a soul wrenching ordeal?" He sucked in a breath, and let it out raggedly. "Why can't it be peaceful? Why can't it be something that you share with someone? Why…?" His strangled whimper against her hair was too much to bear.

She rolled in the bed, feeling his arms loosen against her body, her forehead now against his as she watched the tears roll down his cheeks in the light of the street lamps outside. "You're not going to die alone, Booth." She said, not whispered. She spoke in a crisp, clear voice. What she was speaking was not a secret, it was not something that he knew.

It was a statement.

"You're not going to die alone." She said again. "I know this."

"You don't know, Bones… Nobody knows… Jared was walking around being an asshole yesterday… and now he's in a goddamned hospital bed… broken… alone."

"He has Padme." She shook her head.

"That's all bullshit, Bones… You know it is. She's not with him… she's not going through it with him… she's just there to help him through it. It's just a big goddamned mess." He whimpered. "It's a big goddamned mess." He sucked in a deep breath and let it out, swallowing his tears he watched her in the darkness. "I appreciate your effort."

"You're not going to die alone, Booth." She said, keeping her hand on his cheek. "I won't let you die alone."

She watched his eyes as he traced circles around her face, trying to read it in the dark. "You promise?"

"I promise."

"You'll cry at my funeral?"

"I'll cry at your funeral… I will visit your gravestone every day… I would even pray for you."

"You don't have to do that, Bones…" He said, letting out a slight chuckle through his tears. "Let's not get drastic now…"

"You ask me to do anything, I will do it."

"Will you tell me what you thought when you found out that you were pregnant?"

"I thought that I was a lucky woman to have a wonderful man like you in my life…"

"And what did you think when you found out you lost that child?"

"I thought that I was a lucky woman to have a wonderful man like you in my life…" She repeated.

"I don't want to die like that either, Bones."

"What way is that?" She whispered.

"I don't want to die before I even get a chance to live." He whispered as he pulled her into his arms securely, holding her tightly against him as they lie together peacefully. "I am a very lucky man to have a wonderful woman like you in my life." He whispered, as his words melted into the air and evaporated into her mind and heart, as they drifted to sleep once again.


	188. The Urinator

The morning light was filtering in through the curtains, and Booth found a mop of hair resting against his chest, tickling the sensitive skin. He tilted his head and dropped a kiss tenderly on top, listening to her light groan as she ran her hand over his abdomen. His skin was warm and smooth, her head lifted and their eyes met.

"I missed you." He whispered into her eyes.

"I may have been a bit too harsh in my anger over the fight in my kitchen." She whispered. "I just wanted you to take some time to think about how you will handle Jared in place of becoming angry."

"I'm angriest that he hasn't apologized to you more than than anything he said to me."

"He doesn't have to apologize to me, Booth, I can handle myself."

"Yeah, well... there's no excuse for what happened. I apologized, he needs to man up and apologize too. Whether you feel that you need it or not, he should feel obligated to apologize for injuring you."

"I was the one that got into the middle of the fight."

"Don't argue with me about this, Bones." He sighed.

There was a long pause and another sigh from Booth. "You never told me what he said to make you so angry. You mentioned a ring yesterday. Was that what the fight was about?" She asked, propping herself up, she looked down at him.

"My mother's ring." Booth whispered. "My father gave me my mother's ring the other day, when I went to see him. He said years ago that he had pawned it, but he always had it with him. He's had it with him since the day she died."

"And he gave it to you?"

"Yes. To give to the person that I love, the person that I want to be with forever." He turned his head and looked into her eyes. "It's wasn't his ring to give to me... and it's not mine to pass along. It was my mother's ring, her burden, her pain and guilt. That's what the ring means to me. It doesn't mean love, or tenderness... it doesn't symbolize strength to me."

"And Jared wants it?"

"Jared said that if I wasn't going to give it to you, then I shouldn't keep it. I should give it to him."

"So that he can give it to Padme?"

"I don't know… yes, no… I don't care. It's not his to give, either." Booth said as he started to pull himself from the bed, a scowl on his face.

"You're getting angry again, Booth." She said, sitting up. She watched him look around the room for his pants. "Booth, please." She said, crawling out of the bed, she watched the puppy bound across the sheets and she scratched his head with her fingers as she watched him, eventually hopping from the mattress to the ground.

"I guess I'm just an angry person." He huffed.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm getting some clothes on so that I can take the dog outside… then I'm taking a shower and getting back to the hospital. You are going to work."

"I'm not going to work, I'm going to the hospital with you." She said, watching Booth shake his head as he pulled a t-shirt out of Brennan's dresser.

"No… no, you should go to work. I'll be fine. I'll probably just be sitting in the hospital all day long waiting for Jared to wake up."

"I'm not leaving you, Booth." She said, moving around the bed, she blocked him from exiting. He put his hands on her arms lightly and she shook her head, her hand on his chest. "I'm not letting you go without me."

"You're going with me because you need me, or because you think that I need you?"

"I am going with you because I want to go with you." She said, her eyes challenging him to argue with her.

His eyes narrowed as she stepped forward toward him, and his hand found her waist easily, his forehead meeting hers as she kept the stare intense and wavered not one moment. "You're a difficult woman to bargain with."

"There's no bargaining here. I'm going to the hospital with you. I called Cam last night and told her what was going on. She said that since we're not working on a case, that it's fine if I take a personal day. She is waiting for you to call and update her on Jared's condition." She said with her eyes daring him to argue.

"Evil."

"Mm…" She said, her eyebrow rising to prove that she was serious as he groaned in faux irritation. "Go take the dog out… and if you're good, I'll wait until you take your shower to take mine." She said, trying to pull out of his arms.

"Wait, wait…" He said, pulling her closer. "You know that when we do that, we end up taking two showers… because…"

"I know." She shrugged, leaning up to kiss his lips, she snagged his lip between her teeth and held his eyes with hers. "If you're a bad boy, then I'll let you take three showers." She said, hearing his groan as he reached out to take her by the waist, only to have her pull from the embrace and walk back around the bed. "In the meantime, I'm going back to sleep." She said, plopping down onto her belly, he looked in her direction to see the wicked grin on her face.

"You are so evil."

Her only response was for her grin to widen, as he started walking around toward the door. Suddenly he jumped. "Aw! Crap!"

"What?" She asked, jumping up, she looked onto the floor and started to laugh.

"Rebel!" Booth exclaimed, his whine evident as he lifted his dripping socked foot. "That is disgusting!" He said as Brennan laughed harder. "Oh, you think this is funny?"

"You weren't fast enough for him!" She exclaimed.

"He was supposed to sleep in his kennel! Bones!"

"Looks like you get to shower first." She continued to laugh as the puppy sat a couple of feet away looking up at him innocently, his little pink tongue sticking out as he panted and seemed to grin up at Booth.

"Don't you give me that look!" Booth said as he watched Brennan roll around on the bed laughing. "Stop laughing at me!" he said, laughing as he leaned over the bed. "You two are so mean to me!" He exclaimed. "I have the urinator over here… and you… the giggling bandit who is going to pee herself and my bed if she doesn't stop laughing… and here I am, stuck with a wet sock and two jokers!"

Brennan calmed after a moment and tried not to giggle as she looked up at him still standing on the side of the bed with a pee soaked sock, trying to plan his next course of action. "I'll get dressed and take him out…" She said, a hint of a giggle in her voice. "You clean… clean up the mess and get into the shower." She said, standing up on the bed, she leaned into him as he wrapped his arm around her so she wouldn't fall.

"I love you…"

"I love you." She said as she kissed the top of his head and climbed from the bed. She lifted the dog into her arms. She smiled brightly as the puppy grinned at him. "Hasta la vista, baby." She said, her Austrian accent perfect and sweet, as she laughed and fled the room.

"How do you even know that movie?" He exclaimed, hearing her laughing all the way into the living room, as he was left to deal with his own predicament.


	189. Smotherly Love

The trip to the hospital was in silence, but a companionable silence with hand holding and just slight banter. "It's New Years Eve." Booth said with a glance to his partner, girlfriend, fianceé… whichever she chose to be at that exact moment.

"That is a good thing?" She asked innocently enough, watching his eyes narrow for a second.

"Did you have plans?" He asked, squeezing her hand lightly, her eyes on his as she shifted slightly to face him, despite the constriction of the seatbelt.

"No." She replied. "Do you have any plans?"

"Not currently." He said, sending a sly look in her direction. "I was thinking of asking my gorgeous girlfriend if she'd go to dinner with me tonight… perhaps stay warm on the couch with a fire and a Twilight Zone marathon." He shrugged.

"I know that show." She said with a slight smile. "Though, the science in it is very, very incorrect… and the…"

"Twilight zone, Bones… it's not supposed to be based in reality. It's supposed to be creepy."

"Sometimes the ideas that people come up with for these science fiction shows are quite creepy, because they're so far from reality that it's ridiculous to even ponder the thoughts behind such ideas."

"Are you against imagination?"

"No." She said, narrowing his eyes. "I'm just… pro-reality."

"So you would rather watch a reality show?"

"I don't know what that is."

"That's right, you don't watch television… except for classic eighties movies about cyborgs…" Booth replied.

"The Terminator is a classic film, Booth." She nodded as she looked out the window as they pulled up to the hospital and into a parking space. "Besides…" She said as she gave him an overly sweet smile. "What else was I supposed to do for the past couple of nights when I didn't have you to keep me company? I was all alone in my apartment… with that big screen television…digital cable, and my imagination. You know, the imagination that you so boldly claimed that I don't like using." She said as she got out of the car.

"Yeah, well… I didn't expect you to use that information for evil, Bones." He said, getting out of his side of the car, he closed his door and watched her smile across at him. "Nevermind… I should have seen it coming." He replied, listening to her laugh as he walked around to her side of the car and put his arm around her, kissing the top of her head. "Thank you for coming with me this morning."

"You had no choice, remember?" She said, glancing to him as he rolled his eyes.

"That's right, I'm stuck with you." He said, kissing her head again, she walked along with him, reveling in his warmth.

"For a very, very long time." She replied, looking up into his eyes, he smiled at her, giving her just a little extra squeeze, as they walked into the hospital together, a united front, ready for anything.

* * *

They walked up to the desk and Booth asked about his brother, and they obtained a similar report as Booth had gotten that morning when he had called. Jared was in stable condition, and there had been no complications. They were just waiting for him to wake up. His vitals were all normal, and the MRI and CAT scans had all come back with no issues, it was just a waiting game.

Booth and Brennan sat with Padme for most of the morning, talking and checking through work e-mails and trading text messages with Angela and Cam, and as lunch rolled around Booth could see that Padme was getting a little nervous.

"He'll be alright." Booth said, watching her eyes meet his. "Jared has a very thick skull."

"I believe you're referring to his actual skull, and not a representation of his stubbornness?" Brennan asked, looking up from her phone.

"Yeah, Bones."

"I'm sure the density of Jared's skull is not abnormal, or out of the ordinary for a grown male of his age and size." She said, watching Booth tip his head. "Oh." She said, raising her eyebrows, she glanced to Padme. "That was an attempt at solace?" She asked, watching him nod, she shrugged. "Sorry."

"Bones, you hungry?"

"No." She said, scrolling through her e-mail.

"You sure?"

"I'm fine, Booth." She said, looking up at him, she gave him a slight smile. "You're hungry."

"Yeah." He shrugged.

"Why don't you take Padme to get something to eat… find something for me if you intend on forcing me to eat today… and I'll stay here with Jared in the possibility that he awakens while you're out."

"Are you sure?" Booth asked, glancing to Padme, who was watching Brennan as well and seemed receptive to the idea of getting something to eat and escaping the room for a little while.

"Yes, it's fine."

"Thank you, Temperance." Padme said standing with both Brennan and Booth, she gave Brennan a hug, and Brennan stuck her tongue out at Booth when he made a face at her. Booth made a grabbing motion with his hand, and she glared as she pulled from the hug, leaning into a hug from Booth, he kissed her tenderly as their eyes met for a moment.

"Love you." He said in a grumbled voice that made her smile just a bit.

"Mm…" She said, kissing him quickly again before Booth and Padme walked from the room together.

Brennan moved over to the chair and sat down once again, pulling her phone from her pocket, she heard a sound from the bed and looked up to see Jared's head moving slightly. She sat up in the chair and put the phone back in her pocket as she approached the bed. She watched as his eyes flickered under his eyelids, and fought the urge to call Booth and Padme back from their lunch, though she knew that it was very possible that Jared wouldn't be waking up right away, just that he was cognizant and would be waking soon.

Her theory was torn to pieces though when she watched his eyes flutter open, a look of confusion followed by one of recognition as he watched her tip her head.

"Well welcome back." She said, watching the corner of his lip curl slightly. "I bet I'm the last person you expected to find hovering over your bed when you woke up." She said softly.

"Yeah." He whispered, his smile just a bit brighter. "Here to smother me?"

"Smother you?" Brennan said with a smile of her own. "Why would I let the doctors go through all of that trouble to save your life if I was just going to smother you? Besides… all of these tubes going into you, I'm sure I could find a quicker more medically sound way of killing you if that were my intention." She said, listening to his raspy cough as he laughed.

"What if I apologize?" He whispered.

"I'd say that's a good start to recovery." She replied, as she turned to press the call button for the nurse, and to find a cup and straw, to help relieve his dry throat.


	190. Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth

Booth and Padme came back shortly after receiving the text message from Brennan informing them that Jared had woken up. As soon as Padme stepped into the room, she went to his bedside, and Brennan stepped back, glancing to Booth, who was already beside her, his hand moving toward hers.

"Perhaps we should leave them, let them reconnect." Brennan said as Booth nodded in agreement. Booth checked on his brother and asked him a couple of questions, and the two of them stepped out of the room. Booth handed Brennan her salad, and watched her eyes smile tenderly.

"You hungry?" He asked, nodding toward the waiting room.

"Actually… yes." She replied as she and Booth walked toward the room and stepped inside. "Haven't you eaten?"

"I wanted to eat with you."

"That wasn't necessary, Booth. I'm sure your lunch is quite cold now."

"I don't care… I wanted to eat with you." He replied. They sat in a set of chairs and Booth opened the bag in his hand and pulled a cheeseburger out, unwrapping it as he glanced to Brennan, who sat with the salad open on her lap, staring at it for a moment. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She said, a weak smile on her lips. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"You have that 'Bones is thinking', look on your face." He said, watching her shake her head as she unwrapped the fork from the bag.

"I am always thinking, Booth. One cannot simply not think."

"You think?" He asked, smiling cheekily as she shook her head and poked her salad with the fork. They ate in a companionable silence, his shoulder touching hers as he finished up his lunch, and she ate hers, quietly finishing their meals together. "What did Jared say when he woke up?"

"He seemed concerned that I was going to smother him." She said, looking up from her last bite of salad, she caught the confused look in his eyes. "I informed him that I would do no such thing." She said putting it into her mouth as she watched him watch her as she chewed and swallowed the bite.

"You did, huh?"

"Yes." She replied. "I just let him know that there are easier ways to kill a man." She said, smiling sweetly at Booth, he grinned at her.

"Of course you did." He laughed. "And what did he say?"

"He apologized."

"Have I ever told you that I love you, Bones?"

"Every single day." She said nodding as she closed the salad container and slipped it into the paper bag beside them. "So what kind of preparations need to be made for our New Years Eve movie entertainment this evening?"

"Maybe some snacks… why do you ask?"

"I just thought that perhaps you'd like some time alone with your brother this afternoon."

"You're still mad at me, aren't you?" He asked with a humored expression.

"What? No… why would you think that I'm… oh…" She said, watching Booth nod, she laughed. "You think I'm trying to punish you?"

"Are you?"

"No." She said with a bit of a giggle. "Would you like me to purchase some groceries for this evening?"

He watched her for a moment and narrowed his eyes. "Can I trust you not to just get us nuts and berries."

"Nuts and berries?" She laughed at his implication and watched as he remained serious. "I don't think that would be a good snack at all. I will surprise you though, I can assure you that you will like what I pick. It will be appropriate."

"I look forward to scrutinizing your snack choices."

"I'm sure you do." She laughed as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head, they sat for a little while like that.

"Hey." He whispered after a few moments of silence, she looked up at hi, she gave him a slight smile as she watched him curiously. "Are we okay?"

"You and I together?"

"Yeah."

"We're okay." She whispered.

"You know this to be a fact?"

"I am not sure there is anything else that I am more certain of."

"All evidence points to okay?"

"It appears that way, yes."

"I love you."

"I love you too." She said, sitting alone with him for a little while longer in that waiting room, before she gave him a tender kiss, and excused herself to get ready for their evening together.

Booth stood up after a few minutes, walking toward the door, he opened it and turned toward Jared's room. He had taken one step when he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Seeley." The voice called, and Booth turned to see a nurse, pushing his father in a wheelchair.

"Dad?" Booth said as he watched his father's eyes on him. "What are you doing down here?"

"I came to check on my sons." He said, his eyes proud, and the concern in them was obvious as Booth paused, speechless.


	191. Let Me Break This Down For You

Booth stammered for a second, the surprise of seeing his father sitting before him in the wheelchair made his jaw drop slightly.

"You better close your mouth before you swallow up too much of this stale hospital air. It'll suffocate you." He said, glancing to the nurse above him. "Sorry." He said. The nurse gave him a humored smile and shook his head. "Where is Jared?"

"Dad, I'm not sure this is really a good time."

"I'm going to be dead between now and a couple of weeks from now… I think there isn't a better time."

"He just woke up, and Padme is in there with him, and…"

"Good. I can talk to her too." He said as he looked up at the nurse. "What room did they say he was in?"

"Dad, this is not a good idea."

"Five twenty." The nurse replied.

"Five twenty." Joe said with a nod. "Take me to five twenty… and don't mind him… he'll just follow us." He said, referring to Booth, who was still too surprised to do anything other than stammer and tell him it wasn't a good idea. They got to the room and Joe looked up at the nurse. "My son here can take it from here… he'll call you when I'm ready to go back to my room. Thanks for the lift."

"No problem, sir." The nurse said with a humored smile as he watched Booth nod his thanks and turned to walk away.

"Alright, kid… open the door."

"Dad, I really don't think this is…"

"So you've said… open the door. So where is Temperance, this is twice that I've seen you without her."

"Fine…" Booth said, pushing the door open, he looked inside to see Padme look up at him.

"Hey, Seeley." Jared said, seeing the concerned look on his face. "What?"

"You have a guest." Booth said as he turned toward the door and carefully pulled Joe into the room.

"Dad?" Jared said, his eyes flashing to Booth, there was a split second of anger.

"Hey, kid." Joe said as Booth turned him around to face his son's bed. "You're looking like crap."

"So are you." Jared snapped back without another thought, he saw Booth's glare and swallowed his next retort. "Why are you still in the hospital?" He asked, glancing to Booth.

"I'm sick, kid… didn't you figure that out a few days ago?"

"I just figured you were here for some tests and then you'd be taking off…" He said, his eyebrows knitted as he glanced to Booth. "Seeley, what is he saying?"

Booth simply nodded toward the older man.

"I didn't come back here to tell you this, Jared. I didn't intend on letting you know because I thought it would just be easier if you didn't." Joe spoke slowly.

"Know what?" Jared asked, looking confused.

"I'm dying, Jared."

"No you're not." Jared's first response was one of denial, his voice raised in pitch and he moved a bit in the bed, causing shots of pain through his body.

"Hey, easy there, man…" Booth said as he reached out for his brother's shoulder.

"I don't really think this is a good time for this, Mr. Booth." Padme said, trying to reduce her fiancé's pain as much as possible.

"No." Jared managed to say through the pain. "No, he came here to tell me this, he can tell me this." He said, taking a deep breath to control the pain. "Did Seeley tell you to tell me?"

"No." Joe replied. "To be honest… I have been afraid to tell you. I figured that if you found out that I died, you'd just be as fine with that as if I had never shown up."

"You came back to give Mom's ring to Seeley." Jared said, his eyes narrowing. "You told him that you were dying, but you didn't tell me."

"He didn't want to hurt you, Jared." Booth spoke up, knowing that he shouldn't have.

"Shut up!" Jared shouted, wincing in pain. "You're an asshole, Seeley. You weren't going to tell me any of this! You're always protecting me! I don't need your goddamned protection!" He said as tears sprang to his eyes.

"Guys, this really is not a good time." Padme said as she held Jared's hand, squeezing it gently.

Booth didn't want to speak, but he knew he needed to. "I didn't have a chance to tell you anything." Booth replied. You came by for Christmas, then the fight… and then you took off, Jared. What the hell was I supposed to do, hunt you down?"

"You work for the FBI, Seeley. If you wanted to find me, you could have found me."

"I thought that you needed to cool off."

"In the meantime, dad is rotting away in a fucking hospital!" Jared said, his eyes moving to his father. "Why did you decide to tell me now?"

"Because it wasn't up to your brother to tell you." Joe replied. "I made my own decisions, Jared. Your brother makes his… you can't make everyone else responsible for yours."

"Fuck you." Jared spat. "Get out."

Joe looked to Booth and back at Jared, his eyes showing hurt and pain. "I'm sorry, Jared." Joe said softly, his eyes sincere as he pulled his wheelchair backwards.

"Sorry for what?" Jared asked as Padme gently wiped the tear from his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Jared… that's all I can say. I love you." He sighed as he saw the stubbornness in his son's eyes. He looked up at Booth and swallowed hard. "Can you take me back up to my room?" He whispered as Booth nodded quietly. He glanced to Jared. "I'm glad you're doing better, Jared… I hope you heal quickly. I hope that you and Padme are happy together. I hope that you and your brother can work things out." He said as he turned his head from Jared. "I'm ready." He whispered, as Booth glanced back to Jared before taking the handles of his father's wheelchair and started to pull him toward the door.

"Mister Booth?" Padme said as she ignored the looks of the two boys despite Booth stopping before they exited, Joe turned his head toward the woman. "Perhaps in a day or two… when Jared is doing a little better. We can try this again."

"Padme." Jared whispered.

"I think despite his anger, a good solid conversation is exactly what Jared needs to work through some of his demons." She said, not missing the slight smile on Booth's lips. "I think that you both… well, all three of you have some extremely important things to discuss, and if it takes Temperance and I to lock the three of you in a room together, then we'll do it, I assure you that Temperance will agree with me on that."

Joe looked up at Booth, and could see the amusement in his eyes as he tried not to allow his eyes deceive him on the truth of Padme's statement, but Joe could see it, he knew that Booth was on board with it, even if he didn't say it outright.

"In a day or two." Joe nodded.

"Padme this is…"

"It's going to happen. It was nice to see you again, Mr. Booth." Padme said as Booth turned before she could see the smirk on his face as he pulled Joe out of the room, just in time to hear Jared ask… 'again?' to his fiancée.


	192. I Inferred From Your Implication

Booth parked in front of Brennan's apartment and glanced to the window. Pulling the box from the passenger seat into his hands, he climbed from his side of the car and cradled it in his hands as he kicked the door closed and walked around the other side of the car. He tucked it under his arm for a moment and pressed the lock on the SUV before walking up the steps of the building. He stepped into the building and smiled at the security officer at the front desk.

"Ray have the night off?" He asked, watching the man nod. "Have a nice night, Tim." He smiled as the officer smiled at the recognition of his name.

"You too, Mr. Booth." He said, as Booth smiled and entered the elevator, pushing the button for Brennan's floor, he pulled the box from under his arm and held it in his hands. When the elevator reached her floor, he walked toward the door and was just raising his hand to knock when the door swung open. Standing beside the door, ushering him in, Brennan saw the look of surprise on his face.

"You don't walk as quietly as you think you do." She said with a playful smile that made his eyes narrow. "I'm kidding, Tim called and said you were coming up."

"Oh, so now you have your own bellhop service?" He asked as she closed the door behind him, glancing to the package in his hands. "What is that?"

"Oh, you'll see… nosy Bones." He said, turning around, he reached for her hand and she allowed him to pull her toward him, she collided with his chest as his arm with the package stretched behind her, her eyes following it for a moment before she turned her head and found herself nose to nose with Booth. "Did you miss me?" He whispered.

"I think we should move in together." She said flatly, seriously. Her eyes remained on his and she swore that she saw a split second of raw panic before they cleared once again. "Booth?"

"What kind of snack are we having with our marathon?" He asked, completely dropping the subject altogether, he kissed her nose tenderly and attempted to pull out of her arms. She held his arms for a moment, and he stopped. "What's wrong?"

"Booth, you…" She started, he watched a bit of hurt flicker in her eyes before she turned her gaze from him. "I… I got a few things." She said, dropping her hands to the side, she turned away from him, and started to walk toward the kitchen, only to find his arms snaking around her waist from behind, he pulled her into him and she made a slightly surprised squeak. His head hung over her shoulder as he kissed her cheek.

"We will talk about it." He whispered, watching her eyes narrow slightly before she attempted to walk out of his embrace.

"It's fine, I rescind the offer."

"You can't rescind the offer." He said, dropping his hands to his side, he watched her walk away without turning, and just as she was about to disappear into the kitchen, she turned her head.

"I can do whatever I please… I rescind the offer." She said, stepping through the doorway with just the hint of a smile on her face.

"Bones, you didn't offer… you made a statement, it's different." He said, playing along with her playful tease, he followed her into the kitchen, he leaned on the door frame. "It's different."

"Not different." She said, popping a carrot stick into her mouth as she shrugged, leaning back against the counter, she munched on the vegetable and shook her head, shrugging a bit. "Besides, there's nothing to talk about… you either agree, or you disagree, and by pausing and changing the subject, I see that you disagree."

"I didn't say that I disagree."

"It was inferred."

"It wasn't inferred, it was implied…"

"Since when do you know the difference between and inference and an implication."

"Since I inferred from your constant correction that you were implying that I was an idiot."

"You're not an idiot."

"I'm not. That's a fact."

"I inferred." She said, shoving another carrot stick into her mouth, she turned around just as his arms were around her again, lifting her up as she let out a loud laugh. "I'm eating! You're going to make me choke!"

"You play your silly word games, and you expect me not to retaliate?" He asked, kissing her neck, she tried to hide from his lips, but at the same time allowed access to other spots of flesh that were for the taking as she poked him with the bit of carrot stick she had in her hand. "Hey, hey… are you trying to impale me with vegetables now? I don't know if I can stand for that…" He said, putting his hands behind her knees, he lifted her from her feet and swung her around, feeling her arms as they held his neck to keep from falling, she rested her head in the crook of his neck as she laughed.

He carried her into the living room and dropped her unceremoniously onto the couch, laughing as she giggled at him, he rolled over the back of the couch and hovered above her for a second, holding his weight off of her. "What are you doing?" She laughed.

"I have a question for you." He said, kissing her tenderly on the lips, she watched his eyes as they danced over her features for a moment.

"Okay."

"Do I make you happy?"

"Booth…?" She said, the laughter disappearing from her face when she saw the intensity in his eyes. "Of course you make me happy. Why would you ask that?"

"I just wanted to make sure." He said sincerely. "Do you love me?"

"I love you."

He watched her brow furrow, the tiny wrinkles appearing on the smooth skin of her forehead always made him lean forward to kiss it, kiss them away. "I was just making sure."

"You're acting odd." She said, lifting her hand up to touch his chest, she wanted to be eye to eye with him. "Look at me, please." She whispered. "Are you worried about how I feel about you?"

"No."

"Then why the ridiculous questions?"

"I'm just collecting evidence…" He said as a genuine smile lifted onto his lips, he put his hand to her shoulder and leaned down for a gentle kiss, feeling her body instantly react to him as her hand on his chest grasped his shirt and pulled hard. He fell onto her, feeling a rush of air from her lungs enter his mouth as she pushed him with the same hand, sending them rolling to the side and off the couch as she landed on top of him. This time, the air escaped his lungs as he let out a bit of a grunt against her mouth as she kissed him furiously.

"I want you to make love to me right now." She breathed heavily as she pulled from the kiss.

"I inferred." He said with a cocky grin as she smiled back at him and shook her head, pressing her lips against his passionately, as she tried to kiss that smirk right off his face.


	193. Hummus Attune

Wedged between the couch and the coffee table, the two lovers curled around one another covered by the blanket from the back of the couch. Boot could feel her shiver and kissed the top of her head. "You're cold… we should get up."

"I'm fine." She whispered. "I'm happy."

"We're on the floor."

"A fine observation, Agent Booth. You should go into law enforcement." She said, looking up to see the smile at the corner of her lips.

"Smarty Bones."

"I'm happy on the floor." She whispered, burying her head back into his chest. "I missed you." She whispered.

"I missed you, kitten. I missed the way you purr. I missed the way you feel in my arms. I missed they way you taste." He said, growling into her hair, she shivered again. "You're cold."

"No, I'm sexually aroused." She said, looking up at him, and he watched her cheeks flush as her eyes flickered to his lips.

"Again?"

"Still." She said with a sly grin.

"I don't satisfy you?"

"Mm… sometimes… somewhat."

"Somewhat?" He asked, his voice raising several octaves, she buried her face in his chest and let out a laugh that made his heart speed up. "I am rather sure that you yelled the Lord's name in vain at least twice during that last go around…"

"You must have been mistaken." She said as she rolled away from him and tried to sit up, despite finding them quite a tight fit between the two objects on either side of them. She pushed down on his chest as she attempted to get up.

"Ow, ow… Bones, you're going to kill me here…" He grunted under her as she simply glared, grabbing the blanket along with her, leaving him scrambling to find his boxers. "Where are my…" He said as he found them being tossed on his head, she heard him sigh as she giggled. "Thanks."

"No problem." She said, walking past him as she wrapped the blanket around her and patted his head.

"Where are you going?" He asked, slipping the boxers on, he watched her turn.

"I'm going to find some sweats… you can… stay like that."

"In my underwear?" He asked, watching as she raised her eyebrows and grinned. "You're wicked."

She shook her head and turned, heading quickly toward her bedroom while Booth pulled himself up onto the couch and readied the television for their viewing.

After a few minutes, Brennan appeared beside him on the couch and curled into him. "Where are the snacks?" He asked.

"Kitchen."

"What did you have for us?"

"Carrot sticks… celery sticks… hummus…"

"Hummus?"

"Hummus."

"What's hummus? It doesn't sound very appetizing… in fact, it sounds like something that comes out of an infected cut… hummus…"

"Booth, that's disgusting." Brennan said as she rolled to get up off the couch. "I'll be right back, I'll get the snacks."

"Hummus… go get the hummus…hummus." He muttered as she glared at him and walked into the kitchen. "Don't forget the hummus!" He shouted. "Still sounds gross, Bones."

He waited and after a couple of minutes, she settled next to him and handed him a bowl of popcorn. "Which is why I made you this…"

"So you're going to have the…"

"Hummus. Yes… and you can have the popcorn." She said, cuddling into him with her bowl of vegetables and dip. He wrapped his arm around her and turned the television on as she dipped a celery stick into the bowl of hummus. After a moment, she turned quickly and before he could say another word, the celery stick was in his mouth, hummus and all. He glared at her with a playful glint, the celery stick hanging out of his mouth. "Chew…" He slowly chewed until the celery stick was gone, glaring at her all the while. "I told you it was good." He shifted a bit and before she could say another word, the bowl of popcorn was in her hands and he had grabbed her vegetables and the hummus. "Hey…"

"Shh…" he said, turning the television onto the channel with the Twilight zone… "We're about to enter… the Twilight zone…." He said as he started to hum the theme to her as he took a swipe of hummus and shoved another celery stick into his mouth as she laughed and began to dig into her bowl of popcorn.

"I think I'm already there." Brennan giggled as she watched his playful glare and she shoved another handful of popcorn into her mouth.


	194. Twilight Zoning Out

Halfway through the fifth episode of the Twilight Zone, Booth checked his watch and noted that it was nearly midnight. He looked down on the woman who was sleeping soundly against his chest and contemplated letting her sleep through the New Year festivities. He turned the channel to the annual New York City celebration and watched the countdown clock indicating that there were five minutes remaining.

"Boots?" He whispered, kissing her head, he felt her hand on his bare chest as her thumb gently caressed his skin, her eyes still closed. "Hey, Boots…" He said, watching her face turn into his chest, she groaned slightly. "Boots, it's almost midnight." He whispered.

"Mm…" She groaned.

"Bones?" He said, her nickname catching her attention immediately, she looked up at him with sleepy eyes.

"What?"

Her pouty face was enough to give him a slight smile. "It's almost midnight, they're going to drop the ball."

"Big deal." She said, curling into him, looking to the television.

"Big deal? Big deal? Don't you celebrate the New Year, Bones?"

"Time is arbitrary." She mumbled. "New Years Eve was created simply as an excuse to drink too much and litter." She muttered. "Do you have any idea how many pounds of confetti is thrown around in New York City alone? It clogs the drains, gets into the sewer system… makes a general mess." She said, attempting to sit up, she looked at him and he had his eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Party pooper."

"I don't know what that means." She replied with a snicker as she moved a little more against him.

"Hey…hey… watch it… I'm going to need those parts for later." He said when her knee came dangerously close to his groin, she let out a laugh. "You think you're funny…but you hurt me down there, and it's going to be you that has to suffer." He said, as she began to laugh harder. "It's not funny… why are you still laughing?"

"I don't know!" She continued to laugh, falling over him, he laughed a little, but was slightly perplexed by her sudden laughter fit. He couldn't remember the last time she had lost control this much, and if it was laughter he had no qualms about it at all. She laughed into his chest as he chuckled, and when she looked up at him, he smiled at the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Bones…?" He said, his laughter mixing with hers.

"I just… I just…" She tried to catch her breath.

"Bones, it's not that funny." He laughed.

"I just can't…" She giggled even harder and wiped her tears on him as she took deep breaths and started to calm down.

"What are you high on?" He asked, implying obviously that she was drugged.

She let out a sigh as she melted into his arms, her eyes on the television as the countdown began. "I'm high on you." She sighed again as she let out another giggle.

"Here we go." He said as she cuddled into him and watched the festivities on the television.

"Five! Four! Three! Two! ONE!" They shouted together. "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Suddenly, without warning or anything, Brennan could feel something raining down on her and turned her head as a piece of popcorn tumbled down her face, the bowl in Booth's hand as he let out a laugh. "Booth!" She exclaimed with a laugh as she sat up quickly, noticing that he had tossed the remains of the popcorn from the bowl into the air and they were both now covered with it, she watched as he popped a piece into his mouth. "You made a mess!" She exclaimed as he munched on another piece.

"It's not my fault you didn't open your mouth to catch it." He said with a cheeky grin as she grabbed a piece or two from the couch and threw it at him, laughing as he opened his mouth to catch it.

She laughed as he and Rebel quickly picked up the rest of the popcorn mess they had made, the little dog quickly grabbing a scrap here or there as Brennan watched, glancing quickly to the phone that began to buzz on the table next to the couch.

The two partners' eyes met, and Brennan could see a brief flash of panic on his face. He grabbed the phone and Brennan watched his sigh of relief as he grunted his name. "Alright, we'll be right there…" He said closing the phone he stood up. "Well, that was a pretty short celebration, wasn't it?"

"What's going on, Booth?"

"Let's get dressed…grab your shoes, and let's vamoose…"

"I don't know what that means."

"What's better than a popcorn war with me?"

"Anything?" She teased, watching his faux glare as she grinned.

"A case… there's a body… Come on, Bones… can't keep the dead waiting."

"Actually…" She said as suddenly, he leaned forward and grabbed her around her waist, hoisting her quickly from the couch. "BOOTH!" She exclaimed as he started to carry her into the bedroom, with the little barking puppy at their heels.


	195. New Years Bereave

Standing over the rotting corpse, Brennan shivered a bit. The man above her was watching her closely while talking with the officer on the scene as he explained how they found the body.

"It appears his clavicle was crushed…" She stated softly, her fingertips lightly waving in front of her neck, she continued to look at the body.

"Collar bone." Booth said quite proudly to the officer, who was trying not to look at the body. Booth was nearly blocking his view, and he appeared to be grateful for that.

"Parietal bone appears to have experienced trauma… blunt force trauma…"

"That's the old side of the head…" Booth said, touching his head, the officer nodded and looked behind him.

"Very good, Booth." Brennan said, looking up at him, she caught the cocky grin on his face. "It appears that I've taught you something."

"That's right… I can be taught…" He said, giving her a faux glare as she let out a light laugh. "You cold?"

"I'm fine."

"That means she's cold." Booth said, glancing to the officer as he rubbed his own arms trying to keep warm. "She's going to need all of this trash… the body…"

"Insects, dirt… actually." She said, glancing to Booth. "The whole dumpster would suffice…. Keep it contained… and since your less than efficient officers couldn't leave the body where it was found… we're going to need a statement as to the movement of the body from the time that it was found to right now." Brennan said, standing up. "They should all be shipped to the Jeffersonian as soon as possible." She said with a polite nod as she turned to Booth.

"We done?"

"We're done." She smiled at Booth and pulled her gloves off, giving him a slight nudge.

"So what does this say about how things are going to go?" Booth asked, referring to the dead body before them.

"I don't know what you mean."

"I mean… the clock strikes midnight, and the first thing we do is go drag a dead guy out of a dumpster and bring him to the Jeffersonian…"

"First of all… we didn't drag him, the inadequate law enforcement officers did, Booth… and second of all…"

"Okay, okay… I mean… is it a good omen?"

Her eyes met his and she watched as he tipped his head. His expression was serious, and her tangent was quickly lost. "It's just a sign, that we go on living our lives just like we always have… friends, partners, lovers…"

"Roommates…" He grinned.

"Hey, you were the one that dropped that conversation." She pointed out as she started to walk toward the SUV. "I was open and honest… and forthright… and you just let that ball slide right through the strike zone without even taking the bat off your shoulder." She said as she walked past him to the car, smiling to herself at the reflection of his startled look in the window of the SUV.

"Bones? Did you just…"

"Use a baseball metaphor on you?" She asked, turning around to lean against the truck, she watched him nod his head. "I did…and I used it correctly…"

Booth's eyebrow raised in question. "Parker?"

"Hank." She said with a grin that made him smile brighter.

"You and Pops talking privately in baseball metaphor cannot be a good thing in any kind of situation." He said as he started to walk around to the driver's seat.

"Booth?" She asked, turning to see his attention piqued, she watched his tired expression as it turned thoughtful. "Why did you change the subject about moving in when I brought it up?"

"You'll see…" He said with a smile. "Get in… we're going home and going to bed." He said as he opened his door and climbed in, watching her pause for another moment before she got into her side of the SUV so they could go home to their beds.

As Booth pulled up to the apartment, he glanced to his partner lying awkwardly in her seat, her head moved to the side, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she was sound asleep. Her cheeks were still pink from the frigid cold. He turned in his seat and reached his hand out, lightly running his finger across her cheek he watched her eyes open slightly. The soft flicker of blue against the dim lights of the street lamps made him catch his breath for a moment as a sideways grin appeared on her face. "Hey, Boots…we're home."

She turned her head and stretched, sitting up slightly, she let out a mighty yawn and sat back in the seat for a moment as her eyes blinked furiously to rid themselves of the sleep in them.

"We're going in tomorrow." She said, watching him nod.

"We can go in tomorrow…technically today…"

"Even if it's New year's Day."

"You don't celebrate New Year's day." He teased, watching her smile brighten just a bit more.

"Right… not the way you celebrate it." She replied. "How do you celebrate it?"

"Typically by doing whatever it is I see myself doing for the rest of the year?"

"What is that?" She asked, her brow furrowing.

"Typically… I spend it with you." He said with a smile as he opened his car door and watched her look at him with confusion. "And every year… I point it out… and you tell me that you don't celebrate it." He said with a cocky grin as he closed the door and laughed, as she scrambled to follow after him to the apartment.


	196. Nakeidiosyncrasies

They stepped into the apartment, and Brennan went immediately toward the bedroom. She reached the doorway and realized that Booth wasn't behind her, and turned to see that he hadn't even entered the hallway yet. "Booth?" She called, pausing for a moment, he looked around the corner at her and he smiled at her pout. "Bed."

"I know, I know… I'm coming." He said, turning around, out of her sight again, she glared and started walking down the hallway toward him, when he stepped out in front of her. "Where are you going?"

"I was coming to get you."

"And when you got me… what were you going to do?" He asked, raising his eyebrow, she tried to hide the sly smile on her lips, but was unable to.

"Drag you to bed." She whispered, taking his arm, he allowed her to pull him a bit and she noticed he was holding the box that he had been holding earlier. "Are you going to tell me what is in that?"

"I might…" He replied, entering the bedroom, he handed off the box and pulled his clothes off down to his boxers, then launched himself onto the bed, landing heavy on the mattress, he waited for her to sit down. After a moment, he rolled onto his side. "Hey, where did you go?"

"What is it?" She asked, catching his eyes for a moment, he smiled and buried his head in the pillow as he mumbled something she couldn't quite understand into it. She glanced to him and swiped his arm as she carefully pulled the top from the box. Nestled inside was a photo album, a bit older and worn, she glanced to him and noticed he was watching her. "A photo album?"

"Look inside."

She furrowed her brow at him and glared as she opened the book slowly. She could smell the aged paper, and the residual scent of cigar smoke as she turned the page and looked down on a picture of a smiling baby, naked and happy. "That's you." She replied.

"It's the smile, isn't it?" Booth asked as he watched her eyebrows raise.

"Well, actually… your body hasn't changed much since you were a child…" She said with a thoughtful nod. He looked at the picture and his jaw dropped. "Hey! Hey!" he said as she let out a full laugh at his embarrassment and reached for the album, she stood up and out of his reach.

"You can't have it, I'm looking through it." She said as she turned the page and let out a laugh at the picture of a young Booth wearing Mickey Mouse ears, looking confused.

"My mother made me wear them."

"Right… and that's when your love of cartoon animals began, correct?"

"Hey… I was damn cute in those ears…"

"You were pretty cute." She said, turning around, she plopped down on the bed and lay against her pillow, the album opened to the next page as he inched toward her and she repositioned the album so that they were both looking at it. "Where did you find this old album?" She asked.

"Pops had given it to me a while back…"

"You were a very adorable child, Booth… and I can see that both you and Parker have some very striking similarities as young boys…"

"My boy is going to be a lady's man like his old man."

"Right." Brennan nodded as she continued to flip through the album. "Fornicating at the age of sixteen, getting himself into all kinds of trouble with girls, with the law…"

"Hey, I wasn't in trouble with the law!"

"Mmhm…" She said, flipping to the next page, she watched his hands reach up and glared at him as he snatched the album out of her hands. "Hey, I was still looking at that!"

"You have to get to the lab early… we can look at it more later." He said, nuzzling his face into her neck as she let out an indignant squeak.

"I don't want to wait, I want it now…" She whined.

"Ha…" Booth laughed. "Now who resembles Parker?"

"Are you calling your son a whiner?" She asked to clarify his comment.

"Maybe."

"Well, I'm telling on you." She said with a laugh as he chuckled into her neck and kissed her softly.

"Bones?"

"Mmm…"

"Move in with me."

"Demand or question?"

"I demand that you don't question it."

"Why did you not agree to it earlier?" She asked, waiting for several minutes until he sighed into her hair. "Booth?"

"Because it was supposed to be my idea." He mumbled into her, pulling her closer into him as she laughed again, embracing him, as she reached up and switched of the bedside table, and curled back into her sleeping partner's arms.


	197. Put Up Or Shut Up

The drive to the lab in the morning was quiet but friendly, and though they were both extremely exhausted. "You didn't have to come in with me, Booth. I don't need your help at the lab."

"I was going to go to the hospital and see my brother and dad. You can go to the lab and play with your gross dead person. I'll let you have a little bit of peace and quiet." He said, paying attention to the road, he glanced to her and then back to the road, a smile creeping up his lips.

"You're going to go home and go back to bed, aren't you?"

"Me? No… no way…" He said, shaking his head. "I would never…"

"You're going to the hospital and you're going to take a nap there." She replied, looking out the window with a disapproving shake of her head.

"No… no sleeping… I promise." He said, watching her glare focus on him, she glared for another moment until her attention went back out the window.

"You should talk to your father with Jared."

"Maybe I will."

"No maybe… you will." She replied.

"Bones."

"If you don't, I won't move in with you."

"Bones."

"If you don't, you won't be touching this body for a long time."

"Bones, hey…"

"If you don't…" Brennan turned her head and caught his eye, a sly smirk on her lips. "Then I drive to every crime scene this year… and I get a gun."

"Now that's just outright blackmail."

"It wouldn't be the first time I've blackmailed an FBI agent." She said, listening to his chuckle.

"Really? And it worked?"

"I think I'm quite good at getting FBI agents to do as I please…. They're quite malleable, you know." She said, tipping her head back to let out a throaty laugh as Booth let out a faux scoff.

"Yeah, well… maybe you didn't have to blackmail him. Maybe… he had the hots for you back then, and trusted that you were smart enough to make your own decisions."

"Maybe." She said as they pulled the car up to the sidewalk of the Jeffersonian, she climbed out of the car. "It would explain the handcuffs… later on in that case…" She said, nodding. "But wouldn't explain why it took him so long to make his move." She said, sending him a wink, she closed the door to his slack jawed expression. He then closed his mouth and glared playfully at her as she blew him a kiss through the window. He smiled and sent her one back with a wave, as she laughed and stepped backwards toward the door, waving goodbye as he waved back and pulled from the curb.

* * *

Booth walked through the hallways of the hospital toward his brother's room, and knocked politely before entering the room, and glanced around to see that Padme was no longer there. Jared's eyes met his brother's and he gave him a friendly smile. "Hey…"

"Hey… how are you feeling?"

"Like a truck hit me." He said with a sarcastic smirk that made Booth shake his head.

"A truck did hit you."

"I see that Temperance is teaching you on the ways of the literal."

"Alright, that's enough."

"Where is Temperance anyway? She hate me now?"

"She never liked you."

"Yeah, well… she liked me that one night."

"One more word, Jared… and I will make sure that you can't use other parts of your anatomy that you enjoy using."

"Geez, Seeley… I was just kidding."

"I'm not." Booth said, settling in the guest chair. "Where is Padme?"

"She's probably still sleeping. Not everyone gets up at the butt crack of dawn like you and Temperance."

"We have a case."

"Of course… murderers don't take holidays." He said with a smarmy grin. A silence fell between the two men for several moments, and it quickly turned to a more awkward feeling. "I know that I should talk to dad, I just don't know what to say." Jared said finally, glancing to his brother for some kind of answer, and found that Booth was just watching him. "Any advice?"

"You can start by treating him a little better… keep your temper at bay?"

"Shut up." Jared muttered.

"Things like that." Booth rolled his eyes. "It's not as hard as you think to be nice to people, Jared."

"But him?"

"Is it really going to kill you to be nice to him? He's not coming after us, he's not trying to hurt us… and besides, we're grown men… its about time we dealt with our daddy issues."

"I don't have daddy issues." Jared muttered.

"You have an attitude problem." Booth said, though a smile slipped onto his face as his phone rang in his pocket. He pulled the phone out and looked at the reading. "That's Bones, I need to take it."

"Right… because she's the boss."

"Shut up." He said, just as he brought the phone to his ear, he stood up. "No, I wasn't talking to you, Bones." He said, listening to his brother laugh, he rolled his eyes and walked toward the door. "No… you didn't catch me sleeping." He said, walking out of the room, he indicated that he'd be back in a minute, and Jared nodded as Booth slipped out into the hallway.


	198. A Day Late, A Father Short

Booth and Brennan had a quick conversation about the case, and mixed with a little laughter, he felt quite a bit better when he hung up the phone, with the promise of picking her up for lunch, then home to enjoy the rest of their New Years Day off together. He promised that he'd have the talk with his father and Jared that he had been putting off, and she seemed proud of him over the phone. He insisted he didn't need her there, but did say that he'd talk to her about it afterwards, and she was more than happy to oblige.

He stood in the hallway just outside Jared's room, when he turned to see Padme walking in his direction. She looked quite tired, but still a bit more rested than she had been the day before, and smiled politely at Booth. "Have you been in to see him?" She asked.

"I did… and he's just fine, back to his complaining, irritating, little brother self." Booth replied. "I'm going to get my father." He said, watching Padme's face look quite concerned. "There is a conversation here between the three of us that needs to take place."

"I understand." She nodded, watching him rub the bridge of his nose. "Does Jared know you're going to get him?"

"That… is something I'm going to leave up to you." He said as he watched her jaw drop slightly as he gave her a charm smile that made her eyes narrow. "I figured you wouldn't mind." Booth shrugged.

She glared at him for a moment and sighed. "Fine… but if this all goes downhill…"

"It won't." Booth replied. "I think that if Jared really thought about all of this, he'd come to the same conclusion as me."

"That your father isn't such a bad man?"

"No." Booth said resolutely. "My father is as big of an ass as they come. Jared just has to realize that we are grown ups now… and that's been something he's always struggled with, whether it relates to our father or not." Booth said as he walked past Padme. "I'll be back in about fifteen minutes." He said, watching Padme nod. "I promise… it's not going to go as badly as you think."

Booth turned and walked toward the elevator. His quiet confidence quickly faded as he neared his father's room. The faces of the nurses exiting the room were quite grim, and he knew the moment he entered the ward that things weren't going well for his father. He stepped into his father's room and found that he was now lying with his eyes closed, an oxygen mask to his face. He looked ashen and limp, and just as he stepped toward the bed, a nurse walked in. "Mister Booth." She said, watching as Booth's head turned in alarm toward the voice. "We were just about to call you about your father's condition."

"What happened?"

"He slipped into a coma during the night." The nurse said softly. "He has some brain swelling, and his lungs have been filling with fluid."

"I don't understand…he was just fine yesterday."

"Well, it appears he may have had a stroke during the night, and…"

"It appears?" Booth exclaimed. "You don't know?" He was trembling, his voice shaking as he looked at his father lying motionless on the bed. "You should have called me!"

"We were about to call you, but…"

"But what? You had to take a break? You had to… to… I…" His voice cracked and he shook his head.

"Mister Booth, we are doing all that we can for your father, but his cancer was so far along, and…"

"Its…" He just stared, at a loss for words, he could feel a tightness in his chest, and his entire body was trembling. He felt as if he were about to drop to his knees when suddenly the phone in the room rang. His eyes flicked to the nurse, and it was obvious that he wasn't going anywhere, he was lucky that he was still standing. She moved quickly across the room and lifted the receiver, listening for a moment after she spoke into the line.

She looked to Booth and held up the phone. "Mister Booth, it's for you."

His breath caught in his throat, and all he could think was that it was Jared. He had no idea how he was going to tell Jared, he had no idea how he was going to do any of this. He was feeling pretty damn lucky that he could still breathe. The nurse spoke his name again and he stepped to the phone and took it from her hand. "Booth." He croaked into the line.

"It's me." Brennan's voice grabbed his attention through the line. "Booth, it's me… I'm on my way."

He didn't know what to say, he was absolutely speechless, and all of the questions he wanted to ask her were shooting through his mind in one continuous string of words, so quickly and so loudly that nothing came from his lips, but four simple words. "I love you, Bones." He whispered, as his hand trembled and the receiver dropped, as he turned and faced his dying father in the bed, as he fought back tears and anger, and waited for his partner, his love, his life, to walk through the door for him.


	199. Need You Now

His reaction after talking to Brennan was visceral. He turned on his heel and walked from the room, trying desperately not to turn around and look at his father one more time. He paced the hallway back and forth, his brain moving faster than his body could keep up with, and he was beginning to feel dizzy from the rollercoaster ride that he found himself in the middle of. He leaned against the wall pressing his hands against his face, telling the fourth doctor that walked past that he was fine, when he felt a pair of warm hands on his wrists.

She pulled his hands from his face, and his eyes opened, looking directly into the eyes of the only person that he wished to see at that moment. Her first words were curt and forthright, and he almost laughed at her attempt to make him feel better by stating the obvious. "You're fine, you've got me and I'm not going anywhere."

To an outsider, her words might have seemed conceited or arrogant, but to him, they sounded like the simply stated truth. She was right, he had her, and she wasn't going anywhere. She was sitting right alongside him on this rollercoaster, her hand firmly in his as they lifted their arms and screamed around the next loop. His eyes were imploring hers, and he must have been staring at her just a little longer than she had expected, because her lips turned up in a bit of a smirk. "What?"

"How did you know what happened?"

"I called the hospital to check on your father after I called you earlier." She said, eyeing him carefully, he shook his head and a tear fell from his eye. "That's not a sufficient reason for you to cry."

"What? I need something more than that?" He laughed, wiping the tear from his cheek, he pulled her into his arms tightly.

"You knew I was going to check on him. I told you I would."

"I know, I forgot." He whispered into her hair. "Thank you for getting here so quickly."

"Well, I knew you needed me." She said, feeling the subtle trembling in his hands slowly subside. "Did you need me?"

"Always." He said, wrapping his arm around her, she leaned back against the wall beside him, and he kissed the top of her head. They were silent for several minutes as they both thought their separate thoughts together. "What do I tell Jared?"

"The truth." Her response was quick and snapped right into his heart sharply.

"I just tell him that dad isn't going to wake up?"

"Well… he could wake up, but his chances of waking up are very slim." She said, looking up at his expression. She could see that her words were painful, but she could also see that he needed to hear them. "He has a do not resuscitate order." She replied.

"I don't know what that means." He said, sending her a slightly humored look that earned him a shake of the head. "I know what it means, I just… I don't know what it means for him."

"It means that if he goes into cardiac arrest, or if he stops breathing… he doesn't wish to be resuscitated."

"Bastard probably did that so I wouldn't have to make that decision." He mumbled.

"I don't understand your conflict of emotions." She replied curiously, squeezing his hand tightly and releasing it, she looked up at him.

"He probably thought that by not forcing us to make the choice, it would make the guilt a bit easier."

"If you recall, Booth. He wasn't going to tell you that he was sick at all. I am sure the DNR was put into place when he thought that he had no one to make that decision for him. His quality of life has greatly diminished… he was sick and was going to die, most likely alone until he told you the truth."

"But he's not alone."

"No." She said, squeezing his hand again. "He's not alone. You're not alone, Jared isn't alone. People die, it's natural… you and I know that better than anyone, right?"

"Doesn't make it any easier."

"That's why I'm here." She smiled against his arm, he shook his head and let out a chuckle.

"You're so very full of yourself, aren't you?"

"I have learned quite a bit about human nature from you, Booth. I have learned even more about familial connections, more than I could have ever learned from reading any book on the subject."

"So you prefer the hands on approach?" He asked, looking down at her sly expression as she shook her head.

"Must you make every conversation of ours sexual?" She asked, tugging his arm. "Let's go talk to Jared."

"Jared?" Booth asked as he allowed her to pull him along, his heart heavy and light at the same time, the roller coaster was slowing just a bit. "You were just about to tell me about how you all of a sudden understand innuendo." He said, tugging her arm back, he listened to her laugh.

"I always understood innuendo, Booth." She said as she pressed the elevator button. "It doesn't mean I wanted to give you the satisfaction of knowing that fact." She smiled slyly as she slipped into the elevator, listening to his tense laughter as he followed after her into the elevator, pulling her into a supportive hug, as she pressed the button for Jared's floor.


	200. Even Walls Fall Down

**I appreciate your comments :)**

* * *

She stood quietly in front of him, helping to ensure that his tie was straight. Black suit, black tie, black socks. Her eyes lifted to his, and he tried for a half smile, failing miserably. "Are you sure you're alright?" She whispered, watching his eyes flicker from hers for a moment, and settle back on them. He nodded. "I'm going to go check on Parker, okay?" She asked, watching his somber nod.

Brennan watched him for another moment, catching his eyes, and leaned up for a quick kiss on the cheek. Instantly she was enveloped in a tight hug, and she hugged back, feeling his head rest on her shoulder for a moment. "Thank you." He whispered.

She pulled from the hug, settling her hand on his cheek, she gave him a supportive smile. "I love you."

"I love you." He replied hoarsely, kissing her lips, he let her pull from his arms, and watched as she took a step back, keeping eye contact with him for another moment, before leaving the bedroom.

She walked down the hallway toward Parker's room, pausing outside when she heard a loud sigh and an exclamation from within. She knocked lightly on the door and waited. "You can come in." Parker's voice was clearly frustrated, and Brennan stepped in to see him standing in his suit jacket and slacks, bare feet, and his hands grasping the tie on his neck with an exasperated look on his face. "I can't get this tie on right." He said, pulling it from his neck, he tossed it on the bed.

"Hey, hey… what would your dad say if he saw you treating neckwear like that?" She replied, walking toward the bed, she reached for the tie. "Your dad said that you were going to wear a clip on."

"Clip on ties are for babies, Bones." He said, watching her lift the tie from the bed, she walked toward him. "This is my grandfather's funeral, it's a grown up thing. I want to… I want to show dad I can handle this, you know?"

"I know." She nodded. "Here, let me show you how to tie it…" She said, helping him with the tie, she explained how to loop it and where to pull at the tie to make it just right. He looked down at it and smiled up at her, catching the subtle smile on her lips. "There… just as handsome as your dad." She said, watching Parker look down at his tie, he smiled up at her.

"More handsome than dad?"

"Hey, let's not get too cocky there, son." Booth's voice came from the doorway as they both turned to see him standing there. "You haven't quite earned the belt buckle yet." Booth said, stepping into the room, he put his hand on Brennan's shoulder.

"Yeah, but I'm working on it." He smiled, walking past his dad, they exchanged a fist bump and the boy walked out the doorway.

Brennan took a step forward, and Booth blocked her exit, pulling her into another hug. "I'm proud of you." She whispered into his shoulder, feeling his grip tighten slightly as he wiped a tear in her hair. It was subtle, but she knew what he was doing.

"I wanted to give you something." He said, pulling from the hug, he swiped his eye with the palm of his hand. He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box, and her eyes met his with a mischievous silence.

"I'm sorry." She said, pausing as she tipped her head. "I'm already engaged." She said, flashing the diamond ring on her finger, he smiled and shook his head.

"Funny, Bones." He smiled. "This is my mom's ring." He said with a resounding sigh. He opened the box and showed her, his voice low and quiet. "Dad gave it to me, to give to the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with." He said, letting out a nervous breath, he closed his eyes tightly as he tried to get through what he wanted to say, he took another deep breath and tried to calm himself. "I don't want you to wear it." He replied.

"What do you need, Booth?" She asked.

"I need you to get rid of it."

"I don't understand."

"I don't want it, and I don't want… you to wear it. It symbolizes… too much pain for me, Bones. I don't have the heart to get rid of it."

"And you think that I do?"

"I think that… with all of your studies in human behavior, ancient civilizations, ruins, archeology, the past… I think all of the things that you've been taught about people and tribes, families, trinkets, artifacts… I trust that you'd be the one that would know what to do with something like this. I know that you would know what to do with a piece of someone's past, that was too painful to let go of, but too painful to hold on to at the same time. I trust you, Bones."

She reached across and took the box from him, closing it in her hand without losing his eyes on hers. "I know what to do with it." She replied, leaning up to kiss his lips, she smiled against them as she pulled him in for a tight hug. "We should go."

"Yeah." He nodded against her shoulder. "I guess we should."

* * *

The funeral was small and private, the people that attended were all close friends and family of Booth, and Jared, including Pops and all of the many people from the Jeffersonian that Booth considered both friend and family. The priest said a few words to the small group of people, speaking almost as if he knew Joseph, yet it still seemed so cold and distant to everyone who was at the graveside.

The priest was respectful and polite, and it was quite cold in the January wind, though they all braved the frigid temperatures to be there for the family of the deceased. Jared sat in a wheelchair, bundled tightly with Padme by his side, his eyes were cold and sad, his hand tightly held hers as the priest spoke in a somber tone.

Booth felt Brennan shiver beside him, her hands planted firmly on Parker's shoulders as they stood together huddled to keep warm, his arm then reached around her and pulled her near, and her head rested on his shoulder.

The ground wasn't quite frozen, despite the cold weather, and the hole in the earth where the casket was to be interred was gaping and dark. Their eyes remained on the stone of Booth's mother, having been hidden in the cemetery, it held trinkets of visitors, and Brennan wondered to herself how often Booth actually visited this spot, spoke to his mother.

When the priest paused for a moment, he asked the crowd if they had anything to say about the deceased, and there was a silence over everyone that seemed to match the somber mood of the moment, and the coldness of the situation. Booth wanted to say something, but he paused, and just as he was about to say something, Jared spoke up.

"I'd like to say something." Jared croaked, his eyes were red from crying, his nose cold and red as well. He looked at the casket and closed his eyes tightly.

Brennan felt Booth pulling from her a bit, and she held him tightly, their eyes clashing as she told him silently to let Jared do this for himself. He nodded and they watched Jared struggle, Padme's hand in his as he looked back up.

"I hated you, Dad." He whispered. "For hurting our family. I hated you, for hitting my mother, hitting my brother… for drinking, for leaving us." He said, noticing the clench in his brother's jaw. "I hated you, but I don't hate you now." He sighed, letting out a shuddering sob. "I didn't hate you on the day that you died… and I hope that you know that. I don't want to turn out like you, Dad. I won't. I will love my children." He said, looking up at Padme with a respect that Booth had never seen in his brother's eyes. "I will respect them, and love them… and treat them with kindness, and I promise that I'm going to make up all of my screw ups to my brother. He deserves the effort." Jared choked. "I love you, Dad." He whispered, burying his face in Padme's side, she hugged him as Pops and Booth exchanged a glance, and Booth cleared his throat.

"I love you, Dad." He whispered, feeling a hand in his, he looked down at the brown eyes looking up at him, and clenched his son's hand tightly in his own, their eyes remaining on one another's as Booth gave his boy a proud smile, and with a gentle nod and a few more words from the priest, the body of Joseph Booth was gently lowered into the earth.

* * *

The days following the funeral were somber and sad, though work and moving in together kept Booth and Brennan quite busy in their own right. They had found a place that was convenient and large enough for Parker to have his own room, and allow for enough storage for the convergence of both of their tastes collided into argument upon compromise, upon sneaky reintroduction of offending objects until both of them just accepted the other's belongings, and they moved into a steady routine of work and home life.

Neither spoke of their engagement or wedding plans, it was as if they just lived in mutual acceptance that when the time came to talk of such things, it'd be done. Their partnership only succeeded in strengthening more since the passing of Booth's father, and the announcement that Jared was going to be a father, and Jared's wedding day was soon approaching.

In the days leading up to Jared's nuptials, Booth made a concerted effort to visit his father and mother's grave. It had been months since he had been to the site, and when he approached the stones, he was shocked at what he had found. His mother's stone had been pulled up and replaced, the marker that stood now was one that joined the two plots with a tasteful marble stone. Engraved upon the stone were the names of his mother and father, their birth and death dates and below it a flowing inscription.

_Together they lived_

_Together they fought_

_Together they loved_

_Together they taught_

_Together they dreamed_

_Together they prayed_

_Forever it seems_

_Together they'll stay_

Carefully pressed into the marble stone, in a setting unlike anything he had seen, was his mother's ring, marking the center of the stone. His fingers traced the poem, the words, the ring, and the declaration of the loved ones they had left behind, as he knelt before the stone and let his hands rest upon it for several moments. He closed his eyes and let his shoulders fall, as he finally was able to forgive his father, once and for all.


	201. Birthday Secrets

Dressed in black from head to toe, Brennan watched Booth as he drove them toward Rebecca's house. She saw him glance to her out of the corner of his eye. "What?"

"Nothing." She said, watching him give her a sly grin, she returned it. "So are we going to be robbing banks today?"

"Robbing banks?"

"Yes." She replied, watching him as he gave her a confused glance. "You requested that I dress all in black, and you haven't told me anything about Parker's birthday party plans. My assumption is that you don't have enough money to pay for the party, so you and I are going to rob a bank."

Booth let out a laugh at her 'assumption', and watched the sly grin on her face as she smiled back at him. "If I wanted you to rob a bank with me, don't you think that I would have told you the game plan? Besides, you have money, if I had gone over budget, I could ask you."

"And face ridicule by your family and friends that you can't provide your son an enjoyable birthday party with your own funds? That would be emasculating at best. There's no way you'd ask me for money."

"So you think I'd rather rob a bank, risking arrest and prison time, simply because I wouldn't ask my girlfriend for money?"

"Precisely."

"You're ridiculous." He laughed.

"Not as ridiculous as you." She replied, leaning forward, she pulled a pamphlet from the dashboard and flashed it in his face. "If you wanted Parker's birthday party to be such a surprise, perhaps you shouldn't have left this in your car where I could see." She grinned as he grabbed the pamphlet out of her hand.

"Hey, its supposed to be a surprise!" He exclaimed, laughing as she grinned brightly, shaking her head at his antics.

"A surprise for me and Parker? Or just for me?"

"Oh, Parker knows where we're going, but he wanted me to surprise you." Booth replied, watching as she nodded her head.

"I see." She said, grabbing back the pamphlet, she scrunched her nose. "Laser tag?" She looked up at him.

"Yes." He said, grabbing the pamphlet back. "Laser tag. Ten kids, plus me and you… there are these vests, and…"

"So you're going to give me a gun?" She asked, smiling expectantly.

"It's a laser gun, Bones."

"Still a gun." She shrugged.

"Yeah, well… you and I are going to be on the same team… so it doesn't matter." He said, watching her nod her head.

"I don't think that's very fair." She said, watching Parker wave from the porch as they pulled up the driveway. He hopped down the steps with his bag, shouting a goodbye to his mother as Rebecca waved from the doorway. He swung open the door and tossed his bag in.

"Hey, Bones, Hey Dad." He said, buckling himself in. "Ready to go?"

"Well… hello to you too." Booth teased as he waved to Rebecca to let her know that he was in the car and set.

"I'm so excited, Dad! So excited!"

"Well then, we're just going to have to get you to that party, aren't we?" Booth asked as Parker cheered from his seat and they were on their way.

* * *

Parker excitedly announced nearly halfway to the laser tag arena what they were doing for his party, talking about all of his friends who were going to be there, and how excited he was that Bones could go too. Booth watched his son and girlfriend talk animatedly about it as he explained the vest and the gun and the dark room, why they had to wear black. He made sure to ask Bones if she was afraid of the dark, because of the darkness of the room with just black lights on, and the loud music that would be playing could be disorienting.

When they got to the arena, Parker was the first out of the car, hopping anxiously on his toes as he waited for Booth and Brennan to get out of the car, so that the party could begin. Walking into the building, they met up with nine of Parker's friends, all very excited to be part of the birthday fun, and excited about the following pizza party with cake.

They were all fitted with their vests and the rules had been gone over time and again as Booth watched Brennan get ready, he approached her. "Hey, we're on the blue team."

"Parker wanted me to be on the red team." She said, adjusting the vest a bit. "Besides… It'll be more fair to have one adult per team. Why? Worried I'll shoot you?" She teased, watching the smile on his face appear.

"It wouldn't be the first time." He said turning around, he heard her scoff as he started laughing, moving to gather his team, as they excitedly started their game.

* * *

They played for over an hour, the loud music was as disconcerting as Parker had described, yet the two teams held strong, as the kids laughed and played along with the two adults who were having the time of their lives. Brennan was just walking around a corner, hot on the trail of some enemy 'blue' team members when she felt two hands grab her from behind. She let out a squeal as she felt his hot breath against her.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now, traitor?" he said, his voice full of laughter as she started to giggle.

"I'm carrying your child." She said, feeling his hands drop her as she started to laugh, stepping back, she raised her gun and shot a laser right into the center plate, turning to escape as he recovered.

"Get back here, you cheater!" He exclaimed, as suddenly he heard his son's voice out of the darkness.

"Dad!"

"What?" Booth said, completely out of sorts, another laser came across the room and shot him again, taking him out of his last turn.

"Game over!" He squealed happily as he ran around the corner and gave Brennan a high five, as the two of them went in search of other players, before their game time was called and the pizza party was to begin.


	202. Federal Bureau Of Instigation

**For those of you that asked, it's March 4th... in these updates. It's been over two months since New Years.**

* * *

The kids all piled out of the arena and toward the large room set up for the pizza party, pulling at their vests as they handed them off to staff members. They laughed and talked as Parker led Brennan toward the room, telling her a story about something that she was trying to keep up with, something that made her laugh. She was about to tell Parker something when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and faced Booth with an expectant smile. "What?" She asked, shaking her head.

"Do we have to talk about something?"

"Nope." She shook her head with a shrug. "I'm hungry though… I could probably eat a whole pizza all by myself." She said, turning to Parker, who laughed as he grabbed her hand.

"Dad, stop stalling Bones… we have a party to get to!" Parker exclaimed as Brennan shrugged and followed after the boy, as she laughed at Booth's grunt, telling Parker that she'd be right with him as soon as she stopped for a quick run to the restroom.

There were kids everywhere talking and laughing as they pulled their slices of pizza from the box and sat down in their seats. Brennan came back from the restroom, and found her way to Parker, and she had two slices of pizza on her plate as she sat in her seat, her attention completely on the boy when Booth started to approach her. He then was distracted by a hand on his shoulder. He turned and was met by Rebecca's stern glare.

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to go talk to Bones." He said, watching Rebecca's head shake.

"She's having fun, she doesn't need you following her around like a little puppy." Rebecca said as Booth glared with a pout. "Parker has been waiting for over a month for this, he loves Doctor Brennan. Let them have some fun without you poking your nose in." She said, watching Parker holding a piece of pizza far from his mouth, while the cheese stretched, just as Brennan poked at the string of cheese and sent it flying onto his nose with a laugh as he giggled.

"You're not being fair."

"Just behave yourself, Seeley." She said with a motherly glare as the party continued.

He took a slice of pizza and sat at the other end of the table with a bit of the pout, and smiled when Brennan's eyes lifted to his with an excited grin. He could see that she was having nearly as much fun as his son, and that made him the happiest man in the world. He watched her eat her pizza and made a face at the different toppings that she had chosen for her own pizza. He couldn't remember the last time his partner had eaten onions, peppers, and olives on a pizza. In fact, he couldn't remember a time that she had ever eaten olives at all. But sure enough, she was eating that pizza as if she thought someone was going to grab it away from her, laughing along with Parker as he picked off a bit of green pepper from his pizza and put it on her slice.

The kids were rowdy and excited, each talking about their experience in the laser tag arena, telling Parker that his party was one of the coolest they had ever been to. Booth finally found his opportunity to get to his girlfriend when Rebecca was cutting the cake. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Booth, we're at a child's birthday party, I don't think that public displays of affection are appropriate." She said, unwilling to let go of his hands that had clasped in front of her, she moved his hands down to her belly, lightly resting them for a moment as she leaned against him.

"No one is paying attention. Bones, can we talk about what you…?"

"Oh, let me get that for you, Rebecca." Brennan said, stepping out of Booth's embrace to help serve the cake, leaving Booth pouting yet again alone and without her.

"Holy cow, Dad… did you see how much pizza Bones ate?" Parker said, approaching his dad, pulling him from his pouty funk. "It's like she's eating for a whole army!" He exclaimed, watching his father's brow furrow. "I'm glad she's feeling better. She said she didn't like meat, but she had a bite of my sausage pizza, and said next time she's gonna have sausage on her pizza too. This is the best birthday ever." He said, giving Booth a smile, he walked past his father and around the table to grab his piece of cake.

"Feeling better? What do you mean…?" Booth asked, getting confused looks from Brennan, Parker, and Rebecca, he knew at that moment that they were all in on it together. "You guys are cruel."

"What on earth are you talking about, Seeley?" Rebecca asked, watching him sigh heavily. Brennan stepped away from the cake table and walked toward him with a slice of cake.

"Nothing." He grumbled as he took a piece of cake from Brennan and watched her brow furrow in confusion.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He mumbled.

"You're being a sore sport because we beat you, right?"

"No." He mumbled, a full mouth of cake, she gave him a slightly disgusted look.

"Don't talk with your mouth full...You're not a child." She said in a playfully chiding voice. "It's okay if you're upset that we beat you." She whispered.

"I'm upset because you two used dirty tactics against me." He said, pointing his fork at her. "You and him worked together to make up lies and things to make me fall for your tricks." He said, shaking his head. He was trying desperately to sound pouty and sad, and he could tell immediately that she was falling for none of it. The playful smile on her lips told him all.

"Booth?" Brennan said, a smile sliding onto her lips as she watched him give her a pouty glare. She leaned forward and kissed a bit of frosting from the corner of his mouth as she looked directly into his eyes. "You should really, really know by now." She said, taking the fork from his hand, she pulled a big piece of cake from his slice and smiled. "I don't lie… Not about things that matter, and I never lie to you." She said, shoving the bite of cake into her mouth, she set the fork back on his plate and turned around, swallowing the bite, she smiled. "Alright? Who is ready to open some gifts?" She asked happily as Parker cheered and jumped up and down, as Brennan walked away from her seemingly shell shocked boyfriend yet again.


	203. World Record For Sex

As the party wound down, and the parents came to pick up the kids from the arena, Parker approached Booth and smiled brightly. "Thanks dad, this was the best party, ever!" He said, hugging his father tightly, Booth gave him a tight squeeze in return.

"It's no problem, kid." Booth said, hugging his son tightly, he kissed him on the head and felt him squeeze harder as he looked up at him.

"Can I go home with you and Bones tonight?" He asked with an innocent grin, seeing the surprised look on his father's face, he knew he had him.

"Maybe tomorrow night, Parker." Brennan said from behind them, Booth turned his head to see her standing by one of the tables, a look of gratefulness on his face. "Your dad and I are going to talk about some stuff."

"Aw, Bones…." Parker whined.

"You heard the lady, kid." He said, nodding toward the table with the accumulation of gifts. "Why don't you help your mom get your gifts into the car." He said, as Parker pulled from his father and smiled, running toward the table to help, he ran off without so much as an argument. Booth turned and found himself face to face with Brennan, a smile on his face as he tipped his head. "Thanks."

"Did you have a good time?" She asked.

"Mostly." He said, kissing the top of her head. "You?"

"Yes."

"Ready to go home?"

"Yes."

"Tired?"

"Exhausted."

"Let me walk you to the car, and help Rebecca with Parker's gifts."

"I can walk to the car myself." She said, looking up at him. "Though I appreciate the overly misogynistic gesture." She said, watching his tender smile.

"I do what is expected." He replied, kissing her nose.

"I'll see you out at the car." She said, as she turned out of his embrace and walked toward the door.

"Bones! Bones!" Parker exclaimed as he ran up to her and ran around her. His smile was so bright, she couldn't help but smile back. "Thanks for the great party."

"Hey, this was all your father's idea."

"Yeah, well… thanks for coming to my party." He grinned.

"I had a lot of fun." She said, accepting his tight hug, she squeezed him back and ran her fingers through his hair. "We'll see you soon, go home and play with those toys."

"I will." He said, pulling from the hug. "I love ya, Bones."

"I love you too, Parker." She said, watching the boy race back to his mother to help, she caught Booth's eye. He was smiling at her and she gave him a small smile back, as she turned and headed out to the car.

When Booth finished packing Parker's gifts and Parker away in Rebecca's car, he gave his son a hug and a kiss and waved goodbye as Rebecca drove off, and walked toward his own car. He didn't see Brennan at first, noting that her seat was reclined a bit, he smiled when he opened the door and saw that she had fallen asleep in her seat.

Her head was tipped facing the driver's side, her eyes closed peacefully, and he couldn't help but lean closer to her as he climbed into his seat. He felt her breathing quicken slightly as his lips neared hers. He knew she was awakening slowly, her smile was what touched his lips as she groaned slightly into his mouth. Her hand lifted and touched the back of his neck, and he rested his forehead on hers.

"How long have you known?" He whispered.

"A couple days." She whispered. "I was just trying to find a good time to tell you." She smiled sleepily.

"So you thought that in the middle of a laser tag arena would be the best time?" He chuckled.

"The best time just happened to be a time when I could use it to my advantage." She whispered.

"How about now? Now Is a good time."

She smiled sleepily as she shifted, watching him sit up a bit in his seat, she pulled her seat back to an upright position and gave him a shy smile. "Booth?" She said, reaching her hand out to touch his cheek, she smiled tenderly at him.

"Hm?"

"We're going to have a baby."

He grinned, though he tried so hard not to, he couldn't help it, it was there. "A baby?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's not like we haven't been trying. I can't say that I'm surprised." He said, teasing her, he sat back and shrugged.

"Booth!" She said with a laugh.

"I mean come on… the amount of sex we have… I mean the sheer volume. It's a wonder we even get dressed anymore."

"Booth!" She giggled.

"I mean, a baby? Well… what were we expecting… world record for sex… I don't even know if they…" He was stopped by her hand over his mouth, his eyes smiling back at her.

"Just shut up and take me home to our bed."

"Right… because for nine months, I'm going to be your slave."

"I prefer 'personal servant." She said with a smile in his direction as he sat back in his seat. "And I'm sure it'll last much longer than just nine months." She said happily as he shook his head and laughed.

"Bones?"

"Hm?" She said, looking to him as he glanced at her and started the car.

"I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled back at him before settling back in her seat and closing her eyes again, resting for the ride home.


	204. My Main Squeeze

Booth was sitting in the living room staring at the television screen, the sound of a car door closing brought his attention to the door. It was nearly four in the morning and Brennan was just getting home. He switched off the television set and listened to the key turn in the lock. He watched her step into the house, pulling her coat off as quietly as she could, kicking her shoes off.

"It's about time you got home." He said, watching her jump, she turned and landed with her back against the door, her mouth wide open in surprise.

"You scared me!" She exclaimed.

"I scared you?" He said, leaning toward the back of the couch. He smiled. "I haven't heard from you since you left."

"It was a bachelorette party, Booth." She said, walking over toward the couch. "Unless you'd like to be seen as needy or untrustworthy… it's always best to leave your significant other out of the loop with what happens."

"Well, since both you, and the bride are pregnant… I'm assuming no drinking was involved." He said, taking her hand as she approached the couch, she leaned down and kissed his lips tenderly.

"You are correct… which is more than I can say for you. How was the bachelor party?" She asked, tasting the remnants of alcohol on his lips.

"Just a beer or two. Jared is sober… he's not much fun." Booth said with a smile, tugging her hand. "Sit with me."

"I'm exhausted, we should go to bed." She replied.

"In a minute… sit with me." He said, pushing himself to the end of the couch, he watched her tip her head as if to tell him that she wasn't quite convinced that it was a good idea.

"Booth." She whined as he simply smiled.

"Sit, woman." He said in a deep voice, watching the smile light up her eyes as she rolled them and walked around the couch. She sat down on the other end, she lifted her feet onto the couch, and he quickly grabbed one in his hand and immediately began to give her a foot massage.

"Alright, you've convinced me that this was a good idea." She whispered, watching him through sleepy eyes.

"So tell me all about this party." He said, working his thumbs over her feet, he listened to the soft grumble of his girlfriend across the couch.

"No." She mumbled.

"No?"

"It's none of your business." She said, opening her eyes, she looked across the couch when he stopped rubbing her feet.

"I'll tell you what we did."

"What did you do?"

"We went to a strip club."

"Sounds delightful." She said, pulling her feet away from him, he grabbed for them, but was too slow. "I'm going up to bed." She said, placing her feet on the floor.

"Bones? I told you that's what we were going to do."

"And I said it sounds delightful." She said, giving him a fake smile.

"You sound upset."

"I'm not upset." She said, stretching.

"What did you guys do?"

"I'm not telling you." She said, turning toward the kitchen, he was up from the couch quickly, following after her closely.

"I told you mine." He said quickly.

"Right, and what are we doing? Comparing our penis lengths? How about I end this right here… Yours is longer, you win." She said sarcastically, turning back toward the kitchen.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm thirsty… what is wrong with you tonight?"

"Tonight? You mean this morning… I was home at one thirty… you didn't stroll in the house until after four."

"Forgive me for having fun." She said, turning around to face him as she stood at the sink. "What is your problem?"

"I don't have a problem."

"You're mad because I won't tell you what we did tonight."

"No."

"You're lying." She said, turning back around, she grabbed a glass from the cupboard and then filled it with water at the sink.

"Now you're accusing me of lying?"

She sipped the water and glared at him over the glass, setting it in the sink. "I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm stating that you're lying. It was a simple statement."

"Then tell me what you did tonight."

"How is that going to solve the problem that I have with you lying to me? You just want to know… it's not the only way to solve this argument, Booth. You could drop it." She shrugged, watching him glare at her slightly.

"You're stubborn." He mumbled.

"And you're uncomfortable with accepting the fact that I had fun this evening and that you're not privy to that information. It shouldn't matter what we did this evening. What should matter, is that you can trust me, and you can trust Padme. Perhaps you should really look deep down in your mind and figure out what your problem with this whole thing is. Maybe you have some… unresolved issues that bubble to the surface.

"Are you using psychology on me?" He asked, watching her glare at him slightly as she walked around him and toward the door.

"I'm going to bed." She mumbled as she refused to turn around to look at him, she walked out of the kitchen and across the living room to the hallway. She turned to see if he was behind her and noted that this time, he wasn't following her. She walked to their bedroom and quickly changed out of her clothes, pulling on sweatpants and a sweatshirt, she climbed into bed and under the covers. Curled in the blankets, and attempted to go to sleep.

* * *

Booth sat on the couch, turning the television on, he kept the volume low as he stared at the screen. He wasn't tired anymore, just simply irritated, and just felt the need to be alone for now. He knew she was safe and sound in the bedroom, and that made him feel slightly better, but the argument that they just had was weighing on his mind.

He knew that it was stupid to be upset, and he knew that it was her right to tell him what she wanted to tell him, but he couldn't help but have a nagging feeling that she was keeping something from him. His rational side, however knew that was ridiculous. Bones wasn't dishonest, she was just teasing him, and he had been the one to make her upset. If he hadn't pushed, she wouldn't have pushed back.

He let out a sigh, staring at the television, he realized he was on a ridiculous infomercial for a juicer. He glared at the television before lifting the remote, hearing her voice from down the hallway. "If you really want the juicer, you can have it." She said, walking to the edge of the hall. He turned his head and lifted an eyebrow. "You've been watching this thing for fifteen minutes."

"I don't want a juicer."

"What do you want?"

"You." He said, shrugging, he held his hand out to her.

"Do you have any idea how contrived that reply is?" She asked, raising her eyebrow as she stepped toward the couch.

"Would you say it's cheesy?" He asked, holding his hand up to hers, she gripped it tightly.

"Yes, incredibly cheesy."

"Well good then… there is an infomercial on the next channel for a super duper cheese grater…" He said, tugging her hand, she tumbled onto the couch and into his lap, curling into his arms. "Sorry I made you upset." He whispered into her hair as she curled into him.

"Sorry I instigated an argument." She mumbled into him. "I love you, Boo."

"Love you more, Kitten." He whispered, purring a kiss onto her neck, she let out a laugh, as they curled together on the couch and fell asleep to the mumbling volume of the television.


	205. Final Nail In The Coffin

**Alright Folks... this is update 205 of 206... Its a bit of a long one, so I recommend you take it slowly... let me know what your favorite parts are and be happy in knowing that there is still one more update left. I really hope you have some things to say about this update... **

**For those of you wondering... the bachelor party in the previous update was Jared's bachelor party, and he and Padme have since married... just in case you were wondering. Enjoy. **

* * *

The lazy May Saturday morning quickly turned into a lazy May Saturday afternoon, as Booth found himself staring at his girlfriend as he sat across from her on the couch. Brennan sit with her feet on the couch, nestled into his hip as she frantically typed on her computer, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she looked up just as she finished the sentence she was typing. "What?"

"What?" He asked.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"I'm not staring. I'm admiring."

"You're staring." She replied, closing her laptop, she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You know, there was a time, not too long ago when all I'd have to do is sit here and rub your feet… and you couldn't keep your concentration." She continued to stare at him, now raising both eyebrows. "I guess the magic is gone."

"I don't believe in magic." She replied, still keeping her eyes on his. "And you are not rubbing my feet." She tried not to smile, but couldn't help that bit of humor from rising in her eyes. "I am trying to get the next chapter done on my book."

Booth sighed, a bit of a pouty look appearing on his face as he turned and looked toward the sleeping dog on his dog bed. "You guys are so lazy." He mumbled, climbing from the couch he let out a loud grumble as he started to stand up.

"Lazy? I'm working on my book!" She said with a laugh.

"Lazy, lazy." He groaned as he stood up, stretching. Just as he stood up straight, his phone began to ring. He exchanged a look with Brennan and her phone beside her began to ring. He grinned as she rolled her eyes, and he picked up his phone, just as she picked up hers. He said a couple things into the line, watching her talk to whoever was on her phone. She watched the concerned look on his face as he turned. "Really? Are you sure? We'll be right there." He said, flipping his phone closed just as Brennan finished her phonecall, she lifted the computer off her lap.

"It looks like our Saturday got a little less lazy." She said, watching his furrowed brow. "Are you okay?"

"Did Cam give you the location of the body?"

"Yeah, some cabin."

"Not some cabin… the cabin!" He exclaimed.

"The cabin?" She asked. "The… you have completely lost me." She said as she climbed from the couch and stretched, moving toward the bedroom to change.

"The cabin, Bones… that's owned by the judge… near Luray…. My friend's cabin!" He insisted. "Where we… first…"

"Where we first what, Booth?"

He looked frustrated and she looked serious, so he let out an irritated grunt and turned around. "You'll remember when we get there." He said, sighing anxiously. "They think that it was a hiker." He said, going through his closet. He grabbed a suit and watched her look for something to wear.

"Cam is meeting us out there with the truck." She said softly, looking at the clothes Booth had gotten out of the closet, she reached on the bed and grabbed the tie that he had chosen and walked toward him, moving past him to the closet.

"Hey…"

"I like this one better." She said, handing him one with a light blue decoration, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, her hand touching his face as she met his eyes with hers. "It goes nicer with my eyes." She said with a smile that made him chuckle.

"So now I'm supposed to color coordinate with you?" He asked with a deep laugh, watching her saunter toward the bed with the tie, she dropped it onto his suit and disappeared into the bathroom, her light laughter following behind her.

* * *

The car ride was very quiet, but mostly because Brennan slept the entire way. Booth kept glancing to her, but her head was tipped away from him, and he couldn't see her face. He thought of the drive they had taken on this same road more than a year before this day, and a flood of emotion came over him when he realized how much had changed. It had seemed like it had been so much more than a year, the changes had been so drastic, and he could feel the happiness swelling in his chest as he turned his eyes back on the road.

"I love you." She mumbled from the seat, her eyes on his reflection in the window, though he didn't know that, he glanced to her as she turned her head.

"What was that?"

"I said I love you." She replied.

"I know." He smiled, watching him for a moment.

"You just like hearing me say it." She said, leaning back a bit, she rolled over and faced him. "Are we almost there?"

"Almost there." He said, watching her smile at him, she looked to the clock and noted that it was nearly four, and the sun was still bright overhead, she watched the sunlight flicker through the trees. She listened to the sound of the gravel road beneath the tires of the SUV and she smiled slightly as he drove. She could feel his eyes on her again, so she turned her head to face him. He glanced to her, but did a double take, his eyes now out of the windshield. "What the…?" He said, obviously at a loss for words.

"What, Booth?" She asked, sitting up, she saw the cabin in the distance, the lights of several cars, and the Jeffersonian van was parked on the hill, but instead of the standard jumpsuits, they were wearing formal wear.

"What's going on?" He asked, watching her eyes pan the events, the people running here and there, a catering van parked beside the Jeffersonian van, carrying food into the cabin as people milled around outside. "Bones, what the hell is...?" He stopped, noting that she was grinning so brilliantly that he nearly slammed on the brake, sending her jerking forward, she scowled.

"What?"

"What is this?"

"What do you think it is?" She asked, tipping her head, she flicked off her seatbelt and climbed from the car.

"Bones!" He exclaimed, watching her jog up toward the cabin, just in time to see Parker come running from the door and grab her in a big hug. He watched them as she leaned down and asked him a question, watching him nod his head, he grinned at her and leaned up to kiss her cheek, as he took off running down the steps toward the SUV and Booth.

* * *

Booth smoothly slipped the SUV into park and stared at the chaos going on around him, people moving from one area to the next, and the last thing this looked like was a crime scene. It looked more like a… The door swung open as Parker climbed into his father's SUV and grinned brightly. "I thought you guys would never get here!" He said excitedly.

"Why are you here? What's going on?" Booth asked, looking around.

"Let's go inside, Dad." Parker said, reaching over to grab the keys out of his father's hand. "We have to get dressed."

Booth was silent as he watched Cam direct the caterers, and without another word to Parker, he climbed from the car and stalked over to her. He walked quickly and with a little bit too much attitude for Cam's liking, and she held her hands out as he stepped toward her. "Whoa there big guy… what's the rush?"

"I feel like I've stepped into an alternate universe. What the hell is going on?" He said, more anxious than angry, he just wanted answers.

"Oh, you'll see." Cam said, smiling as Parker walked up alongside his dad. "Parker, take your dad inside… show him where he's getting ready."

"I've been trying to get him inside… he just won't listen." Parker rolled his eyes.

"Seeley… listen to your son." She said with a smile, her eyes crinkling as his narrowed. She nodded toward the cabin. "Cabin, now…"

"I need to find Bones." He mumbled as he turned on his heel and stalked toward the cabin with Parker following right behind.

"Dad… Dad, you can't see Bones yet… Dad, you have to wait!" Parker exclaimed, following Booth as he walked past everything and toward the stairs.

"Bones?" Booth called, walking up the stairs. "Bones?" He said, passing by a couple of people he didn't know, who looked like they were decorating, though he didn't take a moment to check. There were people everywhere, milling about. He stepped toward the master bedroom and twisted the knob, finding it locked. "Bones?"

"Dad, I'm telling you… you can't see Bones yet!" Parker exclaimed.

"And why not?"

"Angela says it's the rule."

"Angela's in there too? Bones?" Booth asked, knocking on the door hard, the door opened slowly, and Angela squeezed her way out of the door, closing it behind her. "Do you mind telling me what's going on here?"

"You haven't figured it out?" She asked, looking at him with narrowed eyes, she smiled.

"Angela." Booth grunted.

"Booth. Look around… what does it look like?" She said, watching him follow her eyes to the decorations around the cabin. His friend, the judge was downstairs talking to someone, a voice he recognized, and his breath caught in his throat when he realized that he had walked right past his grandfather on his hunt for Brennan.

"Pops?" Booth said, watching the older man look up at him, he smiled.

"There you are, Shrimp. You didn't tell me you knew Judge Matthews! His brother was a good friend of mine." Pops said watching Booth's stunned look. "What's the matter with you, son? Why aren't you in your tuxedo? You got cold feet or something?" He said, shaking his head as he smiled, he turned back to talk with the judge.

Booth turned quickly, his gaze now on the incredibly cocky grin on Angela's face. "Angela." He mumbled.

"Parker will show you where you men are changing." She said, leaning up to kiss Booth's cheek. "Its bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding." She whispered, turning toward the door, she gave him one last smile, before disappearing into the room once again, leaving Booth stunned beyond movement or speech.

After a moment, he felt his son pulling at his hand, and his head snapped in his direction. "Dad, are you alright?"

"I…" Booth stammered for a second, watching his son smile at him.

"Let's go get ready!" He said, tugging his father's arm again, Booth went willingly with his son, as he looked down again at the crowd forming in the main room of the cabin, waving half shocked at Max and Pops, along with other guests that had made their way to the mountains for this surprise.

* * *

Parker and Booth were standing in the room getting ready, the tailored tuxedos were perfectly fitted, and for a moment Booth wondered if Brennan had been measuring his inseam in his sleep. He chuckled to himself as he finally allowed himself to calm, the reality of the surprise finally sinking in as he accepted it and decided to take full advantage.

He picked up the bowtie and smiled as he held it in his hands, his eyes flicking to his son who was proudly tying the tie around his neck just as Brennan had shown him. "Oh." Parker said as he saw his dad holding the tie, he reached out for it and grabbed it from him. "Bones wants you to wear that tie." He said, nodding to the tie Booth had taken off.

"That tie?"

"Yeah. She told me not to let you wear the bowtie, because you say that you feel like a penguin in a monkey suit. She said she didn't know what that meant."

"Hey…" Booth shook his head as he laughed, taking the tie from his son. "I don't even know what that meant." He laughed as he started to tie it. "It was very thoughtful of her."

"I like Bones a lot." Parker said, pulling his jacket onto his shoulders. "She's pretty cool. She likes to talk to me, and she never treats me like a kid."

"Well, she thinks you have earned her respect. She loves you very much."

"Yeah?" Parker asked. "She said that?"

"Yep. She loves you very much."

"So you guys are going to still want to hang out with me, even after you have the new baby?"

"Are you kidding me?" Booth said with a playful scoff. "We're going to take all of the Parker time we can get, no matter what else is happening in our life." He said, as he ruffled his hair and smiled.

"Dad, you're messing up my hair!" He exclaimed, running toward the mirror to fix it, he heard his father laughing and smiled into the mirror.

"So..." Booth said, catching his son's eye. "Is there anything else about today that I'm supposed to know?" He asked, watching his son's wicked smile, as he turned and faced his father, Booth knew that he was in for it.

* * *

There was soft keyboard music playing on the small lawn outside the cabin, flowers had been placed delicately and an aisle had been marked, with chairs filled by family and friends. Booth stood nervously near the Judge Matthews, talking and laughing a bit about the entire set up and surprise of the whole event. He felt the eyes of everyone in the crowd were on him.

Parker stood beside him, watching everything going on around them, with Hodgins and Jared standing beside him, having ushered the small crowd to their seat, the keyboard began to start up, a song that was a bit more upbeat than a casual wedding march as the judge stepped back and patted Booth's shoulder, as the procession began. Angela first, dressed in a soft blue sundress, her smile was bright as she held a small bouquet of daisies in her hand, eying Booth for a moment, she gave him her best 'hurt her, and I'll kill you', look before smiling off his raised eyebrow. Next was Padme, her steps light as she walked down the aisle toward the gentlemen, the small arbor she was walking toward was the perfect centerpiece for the ceremony as she took her place right beside Angela.

Now it was time for the bride, the woman that Booth knew could light up a room with just a smile, and with a blink of an eye, his attention was only on her. Dressed in a light colored spaghetti strap sundress, her hair was pulled back in a delicate twist, a few stray hairs dangling down. In her hands, she held a larger bouquet of various wildflowers, and on her lips she had one of the slyest of grins. The baby bump was evident on her thin frame, though regardless she was as beautiful and as elegant as ever. Her eyes sparkled with happiness as she watched the smile slide onto his lips, and her thin lipped smile nearly turned into an all out grin.

Max stood beside his daughter, her arm looped in his as they walked toward the people at the end of the aisle. He held a look of such pride on his face, that it would be difficult to find someone more proud of this event than him. He stepped up to the judge, as the judge asked who would be giving Brennan away, Max stated that he was, as he kissed Brennan on the cheek and let her step away from him, he turned and sat down.

Finally, she was facing him, and all of the emotions that had been building up all day long as she kept this tremendous thing a secret from him began to crash onto her like a tidal wave. His dark eyes were staring directly into hers, and his hands were trembling as she reached for them, half to calm him, and half to calm herself. He looked happy, content and absolutely captivated by her, his lips just barely parted as she tipped her head and king of leaned on one foot, her cheeks flushing at the way he was staring at her.

"I like your tie." She whispered, her eyes settling on it as he smiled shyly at her.

"Thank you." He whispered, leaning forward despite the judge's speech. Everything went on around them, but they were in their own world. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She whispered, catching the smile in his eyes. There were several moments where they stood, completely mesmerized by the look in the other's eyes. Not a soul could touch them now, they both felt like they were on top of the world, until the judge touched Booth's hand, knocking him clear out of his dreamy state, his focus moved to him.

"Your vows?"

"Vows?"

"Yes." He chuckled, whispering to the nervous groom. "Doctor Brennan said that you have your own vows that you'd like to recite."

"What?" Booth said, looking to Brennan, that playful smile was on her lips again. "Bones!" He whispered, glancing to the judge, everyone was watching the two of them as Booth took her hand. "Can you excuse us for a second?" He said, giving a fake smile, he turned to the small crowd. "Just a second." He smiled, tugging her hand, she couldn't help but let out a laugh as he tugged her about three feet from the crowd. "Vows? Bones?"

"Yes." She laughed in a whisper. "You… promising to love me… protect me, care for me." She shook her head. "Vows."

"I didn't prepare any vows." He whispered fiercely at her, her eyes narrowing just slightly.

"Did you bring this?" She asked, tapping his sternum, she tipped her head.

"My heart?"

"Did you bring this?" She asked, giving him a little harder of a tap on his stomach, he glared.

"What the hell are you talking about, Bones?" He whispered.

"If you can't figure it out… then maybe we shouldn't be here." She said, turning around, she walked back toward the judge, he was following right behind her and watched as she turned around slowly, standing back where they had started.

"Are we ready?" The judge asked.

Brennan raised her eyebrow, though he could see the smile hiding on her lips. "Uh… yeah, yeah… yeah, I'm ready."

"Go ahead, Seeley." The judge said, nodding at him with a smile.

He stood and stared into her eyes, falling back into those pools head first without even looking, and he was immediately lost. He wasn't at a loss for words, he had plenty of words, and he wasn't at a loss of feeling, for right now every single nerve ending of his was tingling. His breath was held for a moment, and flashes of words shot through his mind, but none of them seemed to fit. The whole set up had been a surprise for him, and the wedding had been put off time and time again, and yet, here they were, standing where it all began. He felt a tap on his arm and turned to see Parker with his eyebrows raised.

"Dad, you have to say something." Parker whispered, and Booth's eyes moved back to Brennan, who suddenly seemed concerned.

"Are you okay?" She whispered, watching that slightly pained look appear on his face, she grabbed his hand. "We'll be back in just a second." She smiled sweetly at the judge, who just nodded his head and smiled. "Just a second." She said to the crowd as she pulled him a little farther than he had pulled her earlier. "What's wrong?"

"I can't… form a sentence!" He exclaimed in a whisper. "I'm all… tongue tied and… googly eyed… and…"

"I … don't know what that means." She said in a cool tone, her eyes staring into his as he suddenly smiled.

"Thank you." He said, watching her brow furrow.

"What?"

"Thank you." He whispered, leaning forward, he kissed her tenderly, pulling away for a second. "Thank you…"

"For what? Not understanding you?"

"I love you, Bones." He said, grabbing her hand, he pulled her with him toward the judge again, seemingly relaxed as she held his hand tightly, confused at his sudden odd behavior. He twirled her around as they once again stood in their places.

"Now are we ready?"

"We're ready." Booth nodded, watching the humored and confused look on Brennan's face. "I love you." He whispered, watching her smile rise on her lips, he took her hands securely in his. "Bones…" he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear him, though his attention was solely on the woman in front of him. "I promise to love you, forever… and not just… until one of us dies, but I will always love you… and the proof will be there, so you don't have to say that it's impossible. The proof will be in our home, in our workplace, our friends' hearts. The proof is in our children, both the one you carry now, and the one you've chosen to share in the responsibility of." He said, patting his son on the shoulder. "We both love you." He said, moving Parker around to face her, she looked down at the young boy and back up at his father. "We are going to love you forever… We vow to protect you when you allow, we vow to care for you always, even when you think you don't need it. We vow to hold your hand when things get tough, and kiss it when we are happy. We vow to laugh with you, to cry with you, to help you when you're sick… and let you help us… when we're sick." He smiled. "We love you." He said, both of his hands on Parker's shoulders as they watched tears roll down her cheeks. "Right, Parker?"

"We love you, Bones." Parker said, holding out his fist to her, she smiled through her tears, as she let out a little laugh, reaching her fist out, she lightly bumped it against the boy's fist and let out a little sob she was holding back. Parker smiled and moved back into his spot, a playful smile on his face as he looked out at the other people in attendance, there wasn't a dry eye in sight.

"Alright, Bones…" Booth whispered. "Your turn." He said, watching her cry a little, tears rolling down her cheeks one after another as she tried to catch her breath. "Hey, are you okay?" He said, holding her hand, he gave it a little squeeze. "Do you need me to take you aside… give you a little pep talk?" He asked, nodding to where they had walked away twice.

She let out a laugh through her tears, shaking her head as she attempted to wipe away the tears. He stepped forward as he wrapped his arms around her in support. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"For what?" He whispered back.

"For sneaking around behind your back." She whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too." He whispered, kissing her cheek. "And I forgive you for being sneaky, because this is one of the most wonderful things that anyone has ever, ever surprised me with. But that still doesn't get you out of reciting your vows." He said, listening to her laugh as he held her, knowing that everyone was just watching, he kissed her cheek. "Now let's get this over with so we can eat all that delicious food."

"You and your stomach." She said, smacking his chest a little, she stood up and pulled from his hug, her cheeks turning bright red as she realized that this was in front of all of their friends and family. "Okay…" She took a deep breath. "I think I'm ready." She smiled through her tears. "I'm ready." She said softly.

"I am too." He whispered. "For anything…"

"Stop." She said, smacking his arm. "I'm trying…" She cleared her throat. "I'm trying to talk."

"Alright." He whispered, he took her hands. "I'm listening."

"Booth." She said, starting softly, she wasn't sure how well she was going to be able to speak without beginning to cry. "You… pushed your way into my life in a way that nobody has ever even attempted to. You were… cocky, arrogant, pushy…"

"Hey…" He said, watching the mirth in her eyes as she spoke.

"Self assured… protective, though… sometimes overly so…" She smiled. "You were… thoughtful, and caring, protective…"

"You already said protective." He smiled.

"And… I also said overly protective." She laughed. "Just be quiet for a second." She said, putting her hand on his chest she stared at her fingers. "A year ago, you asked me what my favorite… part of the body was." She smiled as she stared at her hand. "I said… that in most cases, it would be the three bones of the ear… because of the beauty that they bring into a person's life, the things that people hear can really shape who they become." She whispered.

"I told you that my favorite part of you… was your sternum." She replied, keeping her hand on his chest. "Because it protected what made you, who you are… your heart." She said, sucking in a deep breath. "But… what I've learned since then… is that you can't just… choose a favorite part of the person that you love. You can't just say… I like your heart because that's what makes you love me. You have to love that whole person no matter what." She said, staring into his eyes with rapt attention. I love your sternum for protecting your heart, I love your heart for loving me. I love your arms for holding me, and your hands for touching me. I love your fingers for catching me, your eyes for hypnotizing me. I love your lips for kissing me, your legs for entwining me, your feet for touching mine in the middle of the night so I know if I'm dreaming or not. I love your face." She said, touching his cheek with her hand, she let it stay there. "For reassuring me, your nose… for scrunching when you laugh… making me laugh… your ears… for listening to me, and your voice for soothing me." She stopped. "I love you, all of you… and I promise that I will love all of you forever. I promise that I will always be your partner, always be your friend, lover, confidant, muse. I will be whatever you need, because you've earned it. I feel that I know who you are better than anyone I have ever met, and I know that you know me better than I know myself. I love you." She whispered. She swore that she saw tears in his eyes, though he was very good at masking it behind his strong exterior.

"I love you, Bones." He whispered back, taking her hand in his as he pulled her toward him.

The rest of the ceremony went by without so much as a blink toward another person, as the two lovers stood together and rested in the depths of one another's soul, and when it came time for the couple to kiss, there was only a slight pause as each slipped on a happy grin. "You tricked me into marrying you." He whispered.

"I can be quite persuasive." She smiled, as she leaned up and pressed her lips to his, as the small crowd of guests applauded the union excitedly.


	206. Perfect Ending

**One Day Later**

It was still dark outside when he felt the resounding kick of his bed partner into his calf muscle. He jerked awake, expecting her to be full throttle amidst a nightmare, but when he turned, all he saw in the moonlight from the window was her eyes looking back at him. "Bones? What's wrong?"

"I'm trying to wake you up, but you didn't respond to the normal whisper and kiss on your ear, so I had to take to other measures."

"You mean kick me?" He asked.

"You're awake, aren't you?" She whispered. "Let's go get Parker up…" She whispered, climbing out of the bed, she disappeared out of the room of the cabin, without saying another word.

* * *

"This was not a good idea, Bones." Booth whispered to his wife, as they trudged up the side of the mountain in the dark with Parker at the lead, his flashlight bouncing off the trees.

"This was a great idea, Bones!" Parker exclaimed.

"Did you give him coffee?" Booth muttered. "He's way too awake for five in the morning."

"Excitement, Booth. It's caused his body to excrete adrenaline." She said, watching him trudge along behind them both, breathing heavily as they climbed faster.

"How about we stop talking about the kid's excrement…" Booth said, watching as the two ahead of him stopped and flashed their flashlights in his face. "Excre…ations?"

"Secretions?" Parker asked.

"Let's change the subject." Booth said, pointing forward. "Keep going."

* * *

"Bones, are you sure you're alright?" Booth asked, handing her a bottle of water as she turned and rested against a rock for a moment, Parker stood several feet ahead of them, waiting patiently. "You shouldn't be climbing in your condition… it's not…"

"It's fine, Booth. As long as I don't overextend myself, I will be fine." She said, taking the water from him, she swallowed every last drop in the bottle, handing him the empty bottle, she looked up to see the light of the sky above them. "Daylight is just about to break, Booth."

"Well then, get your pregnant butt up, and we'll be able to make it before the sunrise begins." He said, leaning forward for a kiss.

"This would be easier if a bear was chasing us, huh, Bones?"

"Right." She winked at the boy as he grinned. "Then we'd just have to go faster than your dad."

"Right!" He laughed, remembering the story that she had told him at the beginning of their hike.

* * *

**One year later-**

"Bones… slow down a bit…" Booth said, watching as his wife climbed at the same pace as Parker just as they reached the top of the mountain.

"Why should we slow down? We're almost there… and we're going to miss the sunrise."

"Well I have a bit more weight to carry than you do." He said, bumping the backpack with the precious cargo in it just a bit, to show her that he was serious.

"I carried Benji up last year, Booth. It was your turn this year." She smiled a brilliant smile as he shook his head and chuckled.

"Yeah, and last year he was the size of my pinky finger… he's a little bit bigger this year." Booth said as he watched Brennan climb back down toward him, she walked behind Booth and checked in on the little one secured in the backpack. His dark brown hair was messy, and his head rested against his father's back with his eyes closed tightly in sleep. "How is he doing back there?"

"Still sleeping." She whispered. "But he won't be if you keep complaining." She said, giving her husband a peck on the cheek as she rushed out of the way of his grabbing hands, laughing playfully as she caught up with Parker.

They climbed higher and got to the last leg of the journey, Parker stepping up the rocks expertly while Brennan stayed behind to ensure that Booth made it alright. Once to the top, they stopped, walking out toward the flatter rocky surface, Brennan held Booth's hand as Parker sat down on the rocks, looking up at the stars that surrounded them in the quickly lightening sky. Brennan carefully lifted their young son from his father's backpack, his head resting on his mother's shoulder as she cradled him carefully, ensuring that he didn't wake.

"Bones?" Booth whispered.

"Perfect." She whispered back, already knowing his question.

He wrapped his arm around her, kissing the head of their son, as she rested her head against his, just as the sun began its gentle push into the morning sky. "Perfect." He whispered back knowing that it was the only thing that needed to be said at that moment, and that nothing else said could do it justice.

**The End.**

* * *

**206 Bones, 206 Chapters...250,000 Words. Review?**


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